Maybe it's your coworkers? At my company (in biotech!) most of the people I knew there had passes and an awful lot of us had been CMs.
-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
The Miscellaneous Thought Thread
- Thread starter mickEblu
- Start date
TP2000
Well-Known Member
China's economy has gone over a cliff recently. Its demographic doom loop has already been locked in place, but now its economy is teetering on the brink.
It's not a wise place to do business any longer. Even without the hundreds of thousands of human slaves they keep in camps and their horrible human rights violations for tens of millions more.
Shanghai Disneyland is not going to go down in history as one of Disney's wiser moments.
Nland316
Well-Known Member
Any bets on any DLR announcements during tomorrow’s panel?
I’m confidently betting on:
-Adventureland Treehouse opening date.
-More TBA details.
My far fetched bets are Avengers E-ticket or Avatar Experience details.
I assume (and hope) that any larger DLR announcements would be saved for next year’s expo.
I’m confidently betting on:
-Adventureland Treehouse opening date.
-More TBA details.
My far fetched bets are Avengers E-ticket or Avatar Experience details.
I assume (and hope) that any larger DLR announcements would be saved for next year’s expo.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Good topic.... tomorrow morning at 6am our time, Sidekick Tightpants is going on stage at the Contemporary to announced new plans for Disney theme parks at Destination D23.
I wouldn't expect DLR's Avatar thing to be mentioned at all.
When Bob Iger dropped that "Avatar Experience" news a few months ago, not even the TDA President Du Jour had heard about it. He had to tell the Anaheim City Council that he had no idea what Iger was talking about with that one. So, unlike the time Bob Iger announced they would redo Splash Mountain and no one knew about it and it took 4 years to retheme an existing log ride, this time with Bob's mystery Avatar Experience that must be built from scratch, you are looking at a 5 to 6 year timeline at minimum.
I think the best we can hope for out of tomorrow's little show is an announcement about a new night parade for DCA or Disneyland, and/or a new stage show for DCA's Hyperion.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Speaking of Sidekick Tightpants and his Destination D23 presentation tomorrow morning...
I said this in a thread over in a WDW topic, but I think tomorrow's presentation by Josh D'Amaro is the last best hope for him to prove that he is actually the guy who is going to save the Parks division from its Chapek hangover and point the parks back in a far better direction. No more cheap IP overlays like Pixar Pier or San Fransokyo, no more skeleton entertainment offerings in the parks, no more trying to cram more people into the parks when huge expansion acreage sits unused and even giant buildings sit empty in Tomorrowland.
If Josh D'Amaro really is such a wise leader, this is his last chance to prove it. He's had plenty of time now to settle in and carve out his leadership vision for the parks. So what's it going to be? Is Josh D'Amaro going to be a Matt Ouimet? Or is he just a better looking and vastly more likable version of Bob Chapek?
I like a Pepsodent Smile as much as anyone, but at this point Josh needs to start delivering to his customers.
I said this in a thread over in a WDW topic, but I think tomorrow's presentation by Josh D'Amaro is the last best hope for him to prove that he is actually the guy who is going to save the Parks division from its Chapek hangover and point the parks back in a far better direction. No more cheap IP overlays like Pixar Pier or San Fransokyo, no more skeleton entertainment offerings in the parks, no more trying to cram more people into the parks when huge expansion acreage sits unused and even giant buildings sit empty in Tomorrowland.
If Josh D'Amaro really is such a wise leader, this is his last chance to prove it. He's had plenty of time now to settle in and carve out his leadership vision for the parks. So what's it going to be? Is Josh D'Amaro going to be a Matt Ouimet? Or is he just a better looking and vastly more likable version of Bob Chapek?
I like a Pepsodent Smile as much as anyone, but at this point Josh needs to start delivering to his customers.
NotCalledBob
Well-Known Member
I am disappointed in Josh. I had hope.
It's very telling that in the CNBC Bob and Bob article this week he was named early in the article as a Chapek loyalist. And then later in article as someone who told the board that they had no faith in Chapek.
He is obviously playing the corporate games very well. Even though some of it was down to circumstance, look how quick he shot up the ranks in the last few years.
Maybe he is just more focused on climbing the ladder than the actual job at hand.
It's very telling that in the CNBC Bob and Bob article this week he was named early in the article as a Chapek loyalist. And then later in article as someone who told the board that they had no faith in Chapek.
He is obviously playing the corporate games very well. Even though some of it was down to circumstance, look how quick he shot up the ranks in the last few years.
Maybe he is just more focused on climbing the ladder than the actual job at hand.
Nland316
Well-Known Member
I do have to say, it is a bit encouraging that they’re starting to hype the presentation more than usual. Josh D’Amaro being added to the lineup, the livestream being put in place, and even the memo released today that they’ll actually be announcing new projects.
My expectations are still relatively low, but I am in agreement with you that this is more or less a last chance for the parks to show some redemption over the last few years.
This event can easily make some much needed, good PR for D’Amaro and Iger.
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
I didn't get the sense that Josh was a loyalist, so much as Chapek saw he had no one else, and felt he could rely on a tiny group around him, Josh being one of that group, who Chapek likely worked closer with than most since he was head of Parks, and Josh was head of Disneyland than WDW. I mean, Josh did get a promotion due to Chapek getting a promotion, and maybe Chapek felt Josh would reward him with loyalty?
That didn't pay off for Chapek, as clearly Josh did NOT have any loyalty for him (based on the article).
PiratesMansion
Well-Known Member
I know that you know that corporations don't care about ethics if it could get in the way of profit. Disney is hardly unique in that area. If it was, Universal wouldn't have JUST opened a park in Beijing.
Seems to be a heck of a lot more successful than Paris or Hong Kong.
Nland316
Well-Known Member
I understand this sentiment, but I do think Josh at least demonstrates some redeeming leadership qualities. I just think people tend to overhype him.
Compare his tenure in the chairman position to Chapek’s. You would never see Chapek interacting with guests and cast members in the park on the regular basis that Josh does. That alone gives me a pretty good sense of a positive leadership style.
Niceness and personality are very hard to fake, which he seems to excel at pretty well — at least on the surface level. Whether or not it’s for self image, being as public as he has been throughout his Disney career is pretty commendable in today’s exec world.
For a while it was hard to distinguish what was his own doing, Chapek’s, or Iger’s. Now that things have settled a bit I think that’s why we are expecting this Destination D23 to be make or break. Hoping he proves himself!
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Agreed. And I must say that Josh truly does seem like a genuinely nice guy. You can tell he's not faking it.
It's also important to remember that he was the immediate replacement for Michael Colglazier, who was an interesting bird. He was a real snob (his wife is actually worse), and yet also sort of a weird guy to interact with. He wasn't someone you wanted to get stuck next to at a dinner party, according to OC friends who knew that first hand. But again, getting stuck next to his wife at a party was an even worse fate and provided an even more boring evening.
Josh D'Amaro was a breath of fresh air after five years of Colglazier. And thank goodness Chapek recognized that and gave Josh the big promotion over Colglazier. So at least Chapek did a few things right.
And that's my hope for Saturday. Josh has been in this gig now for long enough. He can't blame Chapek and he can't blame Covid. It's now the fall of 2023, and both of those things are gone.
Josh D'Amaro needs to drop some big wows at tomorrows presentation. If it's nothing but a few small dribbles of a parade or a new restaurant or a Hyperion show, that's nothing but putting back stuff that is already missing. Or even worse, more vague concept art for stuff that hasn't been approved and can't be discussed in any detail. If that's all he has tomorrow morning, I will give up on Josh and just assume he's a nice guy who will never do much for the Parks. A more attractive and likable Bob Chapek.
Your move, Josh.
PiratesMansion
Well-Known Member
There's going to be a new show where they sing Disney songs in country styles, but don't worry, they're going to consult with people from Nashville!!!111
This is not what rational people meant when they said 'be fair to Florida.'
Thanks, I hate it.
This is not what rational people meant when they said 'be fair to Florida.'
Thanks, I hate it.
BasiltheBatLord
Well-Known Member
This is going to be absolutely awful. You already know it will.
PiratesMansion
Well-Known Member
I don't have words to fully articulate how I'm feeling, and how patronizing and shallow and stupid this all feels. Florida is working overtime to make me never want to give them a dime ever again.
At what point during the year does TDL stop running the original show and switch over to the Vacation show? Because it would be nice to see the original show again one last time.
Consumer
Well-Known Member
Hopefully after the Baloo animatronic burns down, they return to the original, full length show.
Honestly though I hope this is a huge success. Like it or not, CBJ is not as popular as it once was. If this can generate more interest and return them to the West Coast, I would not be upset, even though I have low expectations for the quality of the show.
Too Many Hats
Well-Known Member
It was fun while it lasted.
Saw CBJ at MK back in January. Theater was packed and the audience a blast. People were genuinely laughing at the jokes.
Thankfully 2023 WDI will soon be correcting this egregious error!
Saw CBJ at MK back in January. Theater was packed and the audience a blast. People were genuinely laughing at the jokes.
Thankfully 2023 WDI will soon be correcting this egregious error!
Consumer
Well-Known Member
I hope that Indiana Jones plan comes to fruition for a Dinosaur replacement at DAK. If they get their own Indiana Jones Adventure, it may just be enough for me to actually make a trip down to Florida. Given that Disney would be saving money by not having to build a new show building or ride vehicles, they could pour more money into effects and show scenes, making this new IJA possibly better than even Disneyland's version. Of course, that's all a big "if" because this very well could completely be forgotten about by the company in the next six months.
Exactly. 50% of what gets announced gets cancelled these days. Which 50% does Indy fall into?
I’d rather Dinosaur stick around though. At least until I get a chance to ride it just to say Indy is better. Lol
I can kind of understand Disney looking at Dinosaur as expendable. Universal are the Dinosaur people and Disney will never compete with the Jurassic Park IP. Makes sense to leverage some of your iconic IP.
The biggest losses with these things are losing those classic voices
The biggest losses with these things are losing those classic voices