Should we blame the Imagineers?

[Voxel]

I think Everest is a poor example. The logistics of how to fix a yeti that is in a mountain was not very well conceived. But other imagineering work lately has been amazing. Carsland is looks amazing and don't get me started on the designs for Disneyland Shanghai.
A better example of giving Imagineers an free reign budget is DisneySea. Hands down possibly one of the most beautiful parks ever built, and Mystic Manor in Hong Kong is brilliant. The problem lies in Wall Street. Disneyland Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Disney are financed by a different company for the most part but its still done by Imagineering.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Walt Disney Imagineering has its own problems and deserves plenty of blame.

 

[FettFan]

No. Blame the accountants.

This a thousand times. From Western River Expedition to Beastly Kingdom, WDI is coming up with GREAT ideas.

But....no matter how good the dog is, it still has to cede to the leash.

 

[FettFan]

Imagineer school? THAT WOULD BE SO COOL!!

I'd be there lickity split.

 

[Matt_Black]

Was attendance at WDW/Disneyland slowed down much by the subprime mortgage crisis? I really don't know, but if it was I'd blame that, more than anything else. It slowed down development of a lot of businesses.

That didn't help, I'm sure, but the parks (and general tourism as a whole) took a hit after the 9/11 attacks.

 

[lazyboy97o]

This a thousand times. From Western River Expedition to Beastly Kingdom, WDI is coming up with GREAT ideas.

But....no matter how good the dog is, it still has to cede to the leash.

Good designers are aware of the leash and know how to work with it.

 

[HMANSION LOVER]

Yup - especially those people that understand computer systems, electrical engineering, physics, psychology, theater, economics, Social Anthropology - all at once. Gee, I wonder why? I suspect that, in the US, there is literally NO major or minor University that WDW can draw on for this sort of talent. Even the personality type of a hard scientist tends to be antithetical to the overall mission (I have a Doctorate in Analytical Chemistry - and I'll admit, "hard science" and "people person" don't go well with each other ).

If Disney WANTS people like this in the future? I would think they had best act now - and literally form their own "imagination Institute" - a school for Imagineers TAUGHT by existing Imagineers.

Question is, can you teach people to invent. The imagineers have always had to invent new technology in order to make Disney parks what they are. I personally don't think you can teach a person to be able to invent, I think it is something that you are either born with or not. Could be wrong I voted for Clinton.

 

[Magenta Panther]

I can totally believe that the Imagineers are as frustrated as we true Disney fans are. What you've got here is non-talent controlling talent. Same sad old story. Plus Disney is currently run by a total cement-headed CEO whose opinion of creativity is: it's too expensive and risky. Buy someone else's. Pitiful.

 

[luv]

I do rather blame Disney for a general lack of creativity. I don't know who is to blame. I'd guess the money people and not the creative ones, but it's just a guess.

 

[Dragonrider1227]

Question is, can you teach people to invent. The imagineers have always had to invent new technology in order to make Disney parks what they are. I personally don't think you can teach a person to be able to invent, I think it is something that you are either born with or not. Could be wrong I voted for Clinton.

Heh, that's true. Such inventive creativity exists still. I see it a lot on the internet. It's just they sadly don't work for Disney
However, If there was an Imagineer school, I think it would be for those who already have the talent and desire to create and invent and to teach them the skills needed to do that

 

[lazyboy97o]

However, If there was an Imagineer school, I think it would be for those who already have the talent and desire to create and invent and to teach them the skills needed to do that

There are programs starting at some schools, but for years the problem has always been the lack of any sort of common, singular skill set. There have now been several generations of designs who got their through various sundry ways.

 

[Bairstow]

Is anyone familiar with the development process of Mission: Space?
As I recall, this one had a budget approaching 120 million, and the return on guest numbers and satisfaction has been very slight.

I wonder if the failure of that project was the start of Management's reluctance to invest much money into large-scale attractions in Florida.