Surprise reshuffle of Vice Presidents at the Walt Disney World parks on the horizon?

[marni1971]

I'm very surprised your doubling down on the Frontierland thing. It's not going to happen (certainly not within the next 5-10 years). It's as foolish as thinking Mysterious Island ever had a chance at DAK.

Well there you go.

 

[Captain Neo]

Just because someone drew up concepts for MI at DAk doesn't mean corporate was ever going to sign off on it. That's why any time a fantasy movie came out (Reign of Fire, Harry Potter, etc.) people on here were hoping they could attach it to the beastly kingdom project in hopes it would then get green lit. Disney just isn't in the business of green lighting attractions that cost hundreds of millions of dollars to manufacture without big merchandise and franchise synergy potential.

You may not agree with that, I may not agree with that but that's just the way it is right now.

 

[marni1971]

Just because someone drew up concepts for MI at DAk .

Didn't know they had....

 

[BigThunderMatt]

(though Martin said more recently that the refurb is going to be quite substantial in spite of the short timeframe).

I think this might have more to do with the fact that Space's refurb was largely the changes in the queue and loading areas, with only mechanical non-visually apparent fixes to the ride itself.

Being that most of the stuff in Pirates that would be cosmetic or queue changes have been done piecemeal without completely closing the ride for an extended period in 10 years (yes it's been that long since they added Jack which was the last major extended refurb for the ride), I would imagine that they can focus solely on ride and show improvements in the time that they have.

 

[marni1971]

I would imagine that they can focus solely on ride and show improvements in the time that they have.

There is a lot of that. All being well an awful lot of that.

Quite a bit behind the scenes too. But it's looking better than I hoped for so far. As ever though time will tell.

 

[hopemax]

I met Dan Cockerell very briefly a few years back, He was very nice to me and seemed pretty on the ground and in the know as far as the question I had asked a CM he was with regarding entertainment at DHS. He answered the question, not the other gentleman. This is going to be interesting to watch to see what happens and maybe the why will become apparent. Marie

My Dan Cockerell contribution. My Mom worked merchandise in Frontierland when Dan was area manager. He would regularly eat lunch with my Mom and her friends, I don't know how frequently maybe once a month. Most of the area managers she had since or in different places never did anything like that. Most wouldn't know who she was and some she wouldn't have recognized because she never saw them. Later, Dan would say hi when we'd run into him at Epcot. Which told her 1. He was out in the park to run into him and 2. He still knew who she was. Unfortunately, since she's gone now I can't ask for more details.

 

[matt9112]

I just chuckled really loud at my desk at work.. Everyone asked.. are you ok? lol

well they could make the bags park specific....YOLO

 

[DisneyDadFL]

My Dan Cockerell contribution. My Mom worked merchandise in Frontierland when Dan was area manager. He would regularly eat lunch with my Mom and her friends, I don't know how frequently maybe once a month. Most of the area managers she had since or in different places never did anything like that. Most wouldn't know who she was and some she wouldn't have recognized because she never saw them. Later, Dan would say hi when we'd run into him at Epcot. Which told her 1. He was out in the park to run into him and 2. He still knew who she was. Unfortunately, since she's gone now I can't ask for more details.

My daughter was on the DCP back in 2012 and assigned to DHS. Dan would often eat lunch with the DCP kids and talk with them about their program. I was always impressed that someone in his position would invest that amount of time in what is many cases ends up being just a short term CM.

 

[JordanNite]

Putting a guy who is on the verge of retiring and did a pretty poor job over at MK with it's exanpsion is hardly a glowing reference that anything major is going to happen at HS.

 

[Unplugged]

Putting a guy who is on the verge of retiring and did a pretty poor job over at MK with it's expansion is hardly a glowing reference that anything major is going to happen at HS.

I get your point as I thought that 3 pages back. But reading some insightful posts made me realize 1 key point. If a majority of the park is being torn down in favor of new construction that won't completely be done for 5+ years, Phil has little to manage. He was given a coaster job so he can ride it out to retirement. Where as a go getter like Dan, with a great internal reputation, is being moved out of the park for the same reason. There is little to manage during the remodel and MK is the premier park on property. Dan needs the growth opportunity for a few years before moving him into a larger WDW role.

 

[wannabeBelle]

My Dan Cockerell contribution. My Mom worked merchandise in Frontierland when Dan was area manager. He would regularly eat lunch with my Mom and her friends, I don't know how frequently maybe once a month. Most of the area managers she had since or in different places never did anything like that. Most wouldn't know who she was and some she wouldn't have recognized because she never saw them. Later, Dan would say hi when we'd run into him at Epcot. Which told her 1. He was out in the park to run into him and 2. He still knew who she was. Unfortunately, since she's gone now I can't ask for more details.

Great story and Dan seems to be taking lessons from his Dad. Check out Lee's book. In it he mentions doing just that, getting out there and meeting the people who work for you, as those are the one who really know what is going on. Thank you for sharing!!! Marie

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Great story and Dan seems to be taking lessons from his Dad. Check out Lee's book. In it he mentions doing just that, getting out there and meeting the people who work for you, as those are the one who really know what is going on. Thank you for sharing!!! Marie

I'm not so sure I want him taking lessons from his dad. His father played a notable part in the homogenization/decline of the resort over the past twenty years.

Let's hope he's a rebellious son.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I recall seeing Dan Cockrell out and about at DHS more than any other GM of the parks. Seems like a nice guy. Seems like he genuinely cares about the guest experience.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I'd bet the majority of WDW guests, conservative or not, have no idea who George Kalogridis is, much less his sexual preference.

Which is why one group wrote him a letter pleading that he end Gay Days end end Walt Disney World's involvement with such "immoral" behavior.

 

[aladdin2007]

I recall seeing Dan Cockrell out and about at DHS more than any other GM of the parks. Seems like a nice guy. Seems like he genuinely cares about the guest experience.

I saw him at DHS walking by Dinosaur Gerties area and literally picking up trash off the ground,,,I was beyond shocked/impressed.

 

[WDW1974]

I'd bet the majority of WDW guests, conservative or not, have no idea who George Kalogridis is, much less his sexual preference.

That's not really my point. And when he became WDW Prez, unlike his past positions, it was widely publicized.

Oh, tomorrow he is speaking to a large LGBT convention at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort.

 

[WDW1974]

I'm curious as to why Cockerell is considered the next golden boy even though he was VP at Studios which is almost unanimously regarded as the park in need of the most work and upgrades. I honestly know very little about the management makeup of WDW or TWDC (too many nicknames on here for me to keep track of actual names and positions. Although more pictures of Cupcake would be fine by me.) so can someone give me the CliffsNotes version of what he has done to position himself for such lofty expectations. This moves actually looks more like they are moving him away from the biggest money upgrade to a smaller one.

He's the Golden Boy because people in corporate America get anointed and set on a path based on their background, family, schooling, contacts, ethics (or lack thereof), blackmail material etc.

In Danny's case, his father was a beloved (largely by CMs, certainly not by me) exec who came to Disney in the early 90s, after stints with major hospitality companies, and started breaking everything that had worked from 1971 on and remolding it to the fit the 'Rise of the MBAs/Consultants' era. He retired in 2006 and makes more money than Ricky Brigante (those public divorce docs are eye-opening!) as a ... speaker and consultant.

His boy has now run three of the four WDW parks and will add the flagship, which he worked at in various leadership positions. By comparison, current WDW prez George Kalogridis has only worked at two parks and only run one (EPCOT).

 

[WDW1974]

My Dan Cockerell contribution. My Mom worked merchandise in Frontierland when Dan was area manager. He would regularly eat lunch with my Mom and her friends, I don't know how frequently maybe once a month. Most of the area managers she had since or in different places never did anything like that. Most wouldn't know who she was and some she wouldn't have recognized because she never saw them. Later, Dan would say hi when we'd run into him at Epcot. Which told her 1. He was out in the park to run into him and 2. He still knew who she was. Unfortunately, since she's gone now I can't ask for more details.

I don't know Dan well, so I can't really comment on what he REALLY is like. I can offer that he likely takes after his Dad and Lee was like that. ... It isn't a bad trait at all. But it also isn't automatically a good things. Queen Cynthia was a master at being that type of exec while running DLR. It was scary. She'd meet you once while you were working your shift in Tomorrowland food and beverage and recall six months later that you have a poodle named Doobie and an Aunt Thelma in Artesia who makes the best strawberry-rhubarb pies and that your dad has a bad knee due to seeing action in 'Nam (the kids here won't know what that means!)

I know Dan is well-liked by his Cast ... but I could list so many execs that the same is true of and they weren't good at their jobs despite caring or appearing to care about their fellow workers.

 

[WDW1974]

Which is why one group wrote him a letter pleading that he end Gay Days end end Walt Disney World's involvement with such "immoral" behavior.

I am sure he laughed his (blank) off over that!

 

[WDW1974]

I saw him at DHS walking by Dinosaur Gerties area and literally picking up trash off the ground,,,I was beyond shocked/impressed.

I've been with George when he's picked individual pieces of popcorn up ... yes, with bare hands. That just shows they recall their training. It doesn't speak to whether they are good for the company.