Rumor concerning Phil Holmes

[PhilharMagician]

I am in fully believe that any project cuts that we have seen over the past few years have come from the top down. In the 80's and 90's WDW had grown at such a high pace to a point at which until 911 the growth finally stopped. Concerned the company slowed it's cash outflow and sat back to see what will happen. With buy 4 get 3 promo in 02 & 03 the guests started to come back. Then hits the massive growth of DVC in late 03' which still hasn't really slowed to this day. In 09' the rumors going around this site about how slow things are and nobody is going to the parks, yet many parks are extending hours to acommodate the large crowds. Yes, even without any new E-tickets at this point MK's visitor #'s have been growing steadily each year. In 07' they had over 17 million guests and that was up from 16.6 million in 06' and of course easily holding the title as most visited theme park in the world. Why would any CEO in their right mind want to put tens of millions of dollars into something that they do not need to. Remember you only need to oil the squeeky wheel.

If you want MK to start adding new attractions then stop going!!

WDW parks has 4 of the top 8 themeparks visited in the entire world as of 2007.

I also would like to see more attractions added to the parks as a fanboy, but as a stockholder I understand why they are holding back.

 

[jakeman]

Are you really that naive? Exactly what power would he have had to be able to make other people do their job? When you work in a job with a clear hierarchy of operations, it is frowned upon to go above the hierarchy, and the higher-ups rarely (if ever) listen to the lowerlings.

Thanks for the insult!:wave:

I would want to know if one of my subordinants wasn't doing their job, and if it took someone below them to point it out then so be it.

While etique does frown on going around people, if the people directly above you aren't doing their job then that needs to be noted.

 

[wdwmagic]

I've been told the quote time after time when it comes to the Pirates rehab though, Steve. When deciding on whether or not to ok the addition of the new outdoor scene at the end, Phil responded, "[The guests] will like it no matter what. We don't need a new scene."

Sorry, but that just screams wrong in my eyes. While I didn't believe it when I first heard it, enough people from engineering have echoed the quote, and I trust them.

You need to take it context though. He may well have said that (I don't know, as I wasnt there), BUT the context of how it was said is very important. I understand that scene was cut early on because they couldnt afford to lose the queue space and the cost was way over what they had available. If he had been saying that - "this refurb is so great AND we retain our queue space AND we dont totally blow the budget that missing that one extra scene isnt going to matter and the guests will love it" - that is fine by me. You cant have everything in life, and there is always compromise.

They way you say it though, it went along the lines of "just dont bother with that scene, [The guests] will like it no matter what. We don't need a new scene.

They are two very different scenarios.

 

[Matpez]

You need to take it context though.

Context is completely lost in the series of tubes.... :hammer:

 

[jakeman]

Context is completely lost in the series of tubes.... :hammer:

:ROFLOL::ROFLOL::ROFLOL:

I like how angry he was when he said it too...

 

[DoctorPrius]

I think some members here like to THINK they are well versed in management personel, but in reality, they just jump on the bandwagon. ie. Phil is evil, Jim is a saint. Either, or neither may be true, but a lot of the people posting on the subject really have no idea what they are talking about. I would bet most of the people on the bandwagon couldnt even identify Phil if they were standing right next to him in the park.

I could just by his teeth

 

[wannab@dis]

Since Phil Holmes is VP of MK, then the errors in MK, the lackluster additions, the staled product, the half-hearted refurbs would be attributed to him. Jay Rasulo and Bob Iger, Al Weiss, and others ahead of Phil Holmes deserve blame to.

I'm not trying to focus only on you, but this quote seems to be the mantra of several outspoken posters here. Yet, it's completely subjective. If true, the numbers would back it up with lower attendance and many more people complaining than a very small percentage of posters on internet forums. I've yet to meet a person that have made such observations. I've ONLY seen such remarks from a few, yet vocal, fanboys.

Yes, even without any new E-tickets at this point MK's visitor #'s have been growing steadily each year. In 07' they had over 17 million guests and that was up from 16.6 million in 06' and of course easily holding the title as most visited theme park in the world. Why would any CEO in their right mind want to put tens of millions of dollars into something that they do not need to. Remember you only need to oil the squeeky wheel.

If you want MK to start adding new attractions then stop going!!

WDW parks has 4 of the top 8 themeparks visited in the entire world as of 2007.

I also would like to see more attractions added to the parks as a fanboy, but as a stockholder I understand why they are holding back.

I agree, if a lot of people stopped going, you may see some announcements of new projects. Yet, they keep coming even amid this economy. No matter how many "buy 3 get 4 free" deals or "free dining" they run, if the consumer did not want the product, they would not buy.

 

[MousDad]

I'm not trying to focus only on you, but this quote seems to be the mantra of several outspoken posters here. Yet, it's completely subjective. If true, the numbers would back it up with lower attendance and many more people complaining than a very small percentage of posters on internet forums.

This is why I'm hoping Uni in the next 2 years scares the holy crap out of TWDC and filches as much money from them as is humanly possible.

I've yet to meet a person that have made such observations. I've ONLY seen such remarks from a few, yet vocal, fanboys.

Ouch, there's going to be some people here that smart from that slapshot.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Disney doesn't focus its marketing of WDW to returning guests. They know they get more first-time guests than anything else, and that's what they go after. Why would a first-timer care if a ride or show has been neglected for years, or even know if it had or not? That's how they could cut costs and still maintain MK's position in attendance.

For anyone who thinks one man cannot make a difference at a Disney theme park - Matt Ouimet.

Yes, I know I bring his name up often in discussions like this, but he's what theme park management should be like. He should be the rule, not the exception. Once he left, thankfully JL wasn't far behind and he kept moving the parks forward. And why did he leave? It says a lot about upper management. He and Greg Emmer were a great team.

 

[TalkingHead]

You didn't follow up on the checklist to see who was responsible and why it wasn't done?

Or did you just fill out the checklist and turn it and complain they weren't fixed?

I think you may have an idealized view of managers and coordinators. They're not really involved with Engineering, so I'm not sure who has more authority when it comes to fixing rides. Disney's hierarchy is convoluted, which doesn't help matters. Many of the managers and coordinators I knew spent a lot of time in their offices and only really spent time onstage to deal with irate guests.

They knew that effects didn't work (just as today they know Yeti is in B-mode), but ride quality only needs to be "passable" in their eyes, not perfect. When was the last time a ride went 101 because something other than the ride system was not operational?


That's the current mentality of WDW from my perspective. For the prices they charge, that mentality is unacceptable to me, so I choose not to pay to visit. If I get free tickets, I'll go, but that's my choice. If you choose to pay good money to visit, that's perfectly fine, too.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Yes,
I'm of the impression that much like IoA initial opening, we should be rooting for Universal. Nothing will be better for the fans than Disney and Universal getting into Theme Park Wars, trying to one up each other. Islands of Adventure wasn't the success that Universal (and Disney's Imagineers) anticipated, and as a result, they didn't receive direction from Eisner to one up them. There are huge egos involved here, I don't know that Iger's ego is as big as Eisner's, but I can't imagine that he, or anyone else in the company wants Universal to steal guests from Disney. If Potterland succeeds in stealing guests, rest assured there will be a response, presumably in the form of major additions to each of the parks.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

Kinda hoped this thread would still be around when I got back...(Who knew that Tokyo Dreamlights are good to run to?):lol:

While I usually agree with you I think you are still stuck in the past. If you look at what is happening at DCA it is obvious Imagineering and the WDC has learned from their past mistakes. The new boardwalk architecture is right up there with any "Main Sreet" architecture. It is just going to take awhile for them (Imagineering) to turn their attention (and for the WDC checkbooks) to WDW.

But in the meantime WDW is putting a ton of money into infrastructure all over property. These are projects that don't require a lot of input from Imagineering but add to the overall guest experience. Plus money is also going into building and updating the DVC's and resorts.

So bottom line is, it is obvious Disney plans to fill all those resorts which will mean investments we all want to see (new and refurbed attractions) draw closer by the day.

PS--Blue Sky Disney has some very interesting stuff about 20K and it's future as a franchise. My guess is it has the potential of keeping Mr Rohde quite busy.

Maybe they are starting to change. Maybe. And this only comes after the park "fails" after 8 years.:shrug:

Also, it's DLR!:lol: DLR is ALWAYS getting the new stuff.:lol: WDW always seems to get a clone or a smaller version.

This is why I'm hoping Uni in the next 2 years scares the holy crap out of TWDC and filches as much money from them as is humanly possible.



Ouch, there's going to be some people here that smart from that slapshot.

Yes,
I'm of the impression that much like IoA initial opening, we should be rooting for Universal. Nothing will be better for the fans than Disney and Universal getting into Theme Park Wars, trying to one up each other. Islands of Adventure wasn't the success that Universal (and Disney's Imagineers) anticipated, and as a result, they didn't receive direction from Eisner to one up them. There are huge egos involved here, I don't know that Iger's ego is as big as Eisner's, but I can't imagine that he, or anyone else in the company wants Universal to steal guests from Disney. If Potterland succeeds in stealing guests, rest assured there will be a response, presumably in the form of major additions to each of the parks.

Heh! I kinda agree here. Let TWDC get scared. Maybe that will spark a change too!

 

[DisneyDellsDude]

Really good conversation!

I see and agree with both sides of the argument. Phil being the VP, kind of takes the "name" of the park, weither he does good things or bad things. For us, it would be impossible to know who does what in the company, so focusing on the VPs is just easier to get our points across.

But being fairly high up in the company, he should be able to influence quite a lot. If not change something or get a budget approved, he should be trying as hard as he can to influence those with that power to do what he wants - kind of like a few castmembers we were talking about in this thread.

You can complain, but then you need to follow it up and almost make sure it gets done yourself.

For us on this board that don't work there, really our only option is to complain on here - and hope others read and act upon it. Disney claimed they read online forums a few years ago, so I think many of us are trying to act on that.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Better the devil you know.....

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

*blasts Wishes on his iTunes and feels better*:lol:

 

[dxwwf3]

I'm of the impression that much like IoA initial opening, we should be rooting for Universal.

If Potterland succeeds in stealing guests, rest assured there will be a response, presumably in the form of major additions to each of the parks.

No doubt

 

[fosse76]

Thanks for the insult!:wave:

I would want to know if one of my subordinants wasn't doing their job, and if it took someone below them to point it out then so be it.

While etique does frown on going around people, if the people directly above you aren't doing their job then that needs to be noted.

Do you really think it's that simple? Or that even higher-up managers would care? When I worked at Six Flags, we had these forms we filled out if something was broken...burnt out light, loose railing, etc. Usually if there wasn't a repair I'd fill out another form. Maintenance worked on their own schedule, not mine...and I certainly was in no position to go to the Director of maintenance and say soemthing I requisitioned wasn't repaired. He would have just laughed me aside and I would have most likely been yelled at by my su[pervisor for not going through the proper channels. And that's pretty much how it goes with any company with a strict hierchal structure. There could be any number of reasons why something isn't fixed, and they certainly don't have the need to explain it to some underling. If you honestly think that a CM can go to the VP of Imagineering and tell them they need to fix the Yeti without some negative consequences from his or her own supervisors for such an action, you really are naive.

 

[jakeman]

I think you may have an idealized view of managers and coordinators. They're not really involved with Engineering, so I'm not sure who has more authority when it comes to fixing rides. Disney's hierarchy is convoluted, which doesn't help matters. Many of the managers and coordinators I knew spent a lot of time in their offices and only really spent time onstage to deal with irate guests.

They knew that effects didn't work (just as today they know Yeti is in B-mode), but ride quality only needs to be "passable" in their eyes, not perfect. When was the last time a ride went 101 because something other than the ride system was not operational?


That's the current mentality of WDW from my perspective. For the prices they charge, that mentality is unacceptable to me, so I choose not to pay to visit. If I get free tickets, I'll go, but that's my choice. If you choose to pay good money to visit, that's perfectly fine, too.

Do you really think it's that simple? Or that even higher-up managers would care? When I worked at Six Flags, we had these forms we filled out if something was broken...burnt out light, loose railing, etc. Usually if there wasn't a repair I'd fill out another form. Maintenance worked on their own schedule, not mine...and I certainly was in no position to go to the Director of maintenance and say soemthing I requisitioned wasn't repaired. He would have just laughed me aside and I would have most likely been yelled at by my su[pervisor for not going through the proper channels. And that's pretty much how it goes with any company with a strict hierchal structure. There could be any number of reasons why something isn't fixed, and they certainly don't have the need to explain it to some underling. If you honestly think that a CM can go to the VP of Imagineering and tell them they need to fix the Yeti without some negative consequences from his or her own supervisors for such an action, you really are naive.

Then you are not doing your job as a front line cast member or employee.

It's not idealized, it's a fact. If you notice something is wrong and don't follow it until completion, you are not doing your job and are as much of a hinderance to the company as the other guy.

The "woe is me, I'm a peon" attitude won't lead to any improvements.

 

[HMF]

There was some confirmation in the other thread.

Honestly, while it's sad that someone looses their job, it's a buisness, and it's bound to happen when you allow your product to get stale.



:lookaroun

It is indeed sad when someone loses a job. Assuming that person is not Phil Holmes.:animwink:

 

[TalkingHead]

Then you are not doing your job as a front line cast member or employee.

It's not idealized, it's a fact. If you notice something is wrong and don't follow it until completion, you are not doing your job and are as much of a hinderance to the company as the other guy.

The "woe is me, I'm a peon" attitude won't lead to any improvements.

:lol: Jake, I think you need to lay off the pixie dust. Not only does it cause nose bleeds, but it really does lead to a naive perspective.

EDIT: Do you think Yeti would be repaired if the front-line CMs at Everest were to report the broken AA on a daily basis?