The Spirited 11th Hour ...

[the.dreamfinder]

I can only imagine how much WDI charges to erect a 150 foot tall building

150 foot buildings? What about the ODV carts?

 

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

1) the good soldier/reward for DCA/Shanghai
2) He knows where the graves are buried and was hinting at a tell-all
3) Our fearless leaders finally came to an understanding that he is the best and only real candidate

4) Keep him from being stolen by other businesses.

WDI has lost dozens of talented creatives since the TDS project completion, many whose forced departure was nothing more than political maneuvering and posturing. WDI needs the remainder of their old school Imagineers like Weis to help Disney compete against parks like Uni. Once SDL was opened, he would be ripe for the taking by former Imagineers who've worked with him before.

And speaking of former Imagineers...

February 1st will mark the third anniversary of Tony Baxter's firing, uh, retirement from WDI. (Also his 69th birthday. Have a happy one, Tony! )

Hmm... isn't the TWDC standard non-compete period three years?

 

[Mike S]

Great to have you back Spirit!!!

The news about Bob Weis sounds great. We can only hope that "faster and cheaper" means a Universal Creative type model. Boggles my mind how Diagon Alley was cheaper than New Fantasyland. Got to admit it sucks we won't get Star Wars possibly till 2020 while Disneyland gets it two full years earlier. I tell ya, that park will be absolutely SWAMPED. Having it open at DHS at a similar time could've relieved it a bit with people choosing one or the other depending on which one is closer to "see it first." Let's hope this "faster and cheaper" kicks in for us in the east. If Roger Rabbit is staying (YAY!!!) but the rest of Toontown is going, I just have one guess: Frozen in some capacity. In a place it actually belongs, go figure

 

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

I'm not surprised that DL is getting SWL before WDW simply because Potter opens at Uni Hollywood in a few months, and will undoubtedly siphon off plenty of Anaheim visitors. DL is still mostly a local destination, unlike Florida, and has much to compete with in SoCal.

 

[prfctlyximprct]

I hate myself so much for saying this, but glad to have you back Spirit!

Will enjoy reading this thread.

 

[RSoxNo1]

That goes without saying.

I get why people visit the MK. Even with crappy show quality and stale entertainment, the park has lots to see and do. I get why people visit DAK as it's beautiful and lush and they continually are adding and improving it.

But I honestly can't get why people visit the corpses of EPCOT Center and The Disney-MGM Studios. In the latter case I can honestly say there is far more to see and more quality at the WDSP -- the worst park Disney has ever built.

Studios will be a totally different place come 2020. EPCOT ... not so sure about because it works as the world's largest bar and food court.

I'm guessing Epcot will be really hurt by Disney Springs if it isn't happening already.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Do you think Vaughn could get picked up by Universal after his famous "no one can touch us" comment?

What exactly is Vaughn's resume? He always seemed like the type of guy that failed upwards a la Chris Beatty

 

[the.dreamfinder]

4) Keep him from being stolen by other businesses.

WDI has lost dozens of talented creatives since the TDS project completion, many whose forced departure was nothing more than political maneuvering and posturing. WDI needs the remainder of their old school Imagineers like Weis to help Disney compete against parks like Uni. Once SDL was opened, he would be ripe for the taking by former Imagineers who've worked with him before.

And speaking of former Imagineers...

February 1st will mark the third anniversary of Tony Baxter's firing, uh, retirement from WDI. (Also his 69th birthday. Have a happy one, Tony! )

Hmm... isn't the TWDC standard non-compete period three years?

Any chance Weis goes after folks like the Kirk Brothers or Tim Delaney, who had become quite critical of WDI's spending practices once he left?
EDIT
Additional Question: Where does Weis' move leave Hong Kong's second gate, which he was creatively in charge of?

 

[the.dreamfinder]

What exactly is Vaughn's resume? He always seemed like the type of guy that failed upwards a la Chris Beatty

Vaughn comes from a technical background in special effects and research and development. Before becoming head of WDI, he supervised Lucky the Dinosaur, a product of WDI R&D.

 

[BrianLo]

Additional Question: Where does Weis' move leave Hong Kong's second gate, which he was creatively in charge of?

That's a key question and probably forms a crux on how he landed the job. Was he the natural choice as the guy they were now putting in charge of new parks... Or had he enough with China and really the only thing with more responsibility was the whole division.

 

[ThemeParkJunkee]

I almost didn't check this site today. I do come back occasionally to check new permits or rumors regarding DHS but I am smack dab in th middle of tax season now (accounting type person) and my time is mostly not my own.

Welcome back Spirit. I was wondering what this Weis promotion held for the future of WDW and the machinations that brought it about. did reduce my position in DIS at around $119 per share and am grateful I did that. I always thought an overreaching estimate of the orce Awakens was built into the stock price and the expected freefall in the Asian markets enticed me to get out of Asia and reduce my positions in companies at particular risk in that market. Also, I read a news story about toxic smog in Shanghai.

I'll be following. I have a new computer since you last posted. The old one died. That's how long it has been.

 

[Next Big Thing]

Miceage ran an update today talking about how he and DLR Prez Michael Colglazier had nixed moving walkways and a sky bridge as part of DLR's new parking structure. That kind of minor league BS needs to be stopped.

Just wanted to point out that MiceAge was being knowingly deceptive in that article. The "Moving Walkways" are being removed, not the skybridge. Dusty confirmed it in the comments of the article.

 

[Next Big Thing]

I don't understand. Toontown west? Is an expansion for toontown being considered there?

Arendelle

 

[Next Big Thing]

I'm guessing Epcot will be really hurt by Disney Springs if it isn't happening already.

I doubt it.

While I have been saying for awhile now that The Landing and all of it's restaurants is basically taking a page out of World Showcase's book, most people that go are there for a festival or want the full "Drinking Around the World" experience.

The biggest audience Epcot will lose to DS is locals. Likely fans that Disney has priced out from getting APs. Let's not forget that the Epcot After 4 pass still exists, though.

 

[Sped2424]

Arendelle

Is that conjecture or an actual rumor?

 

[Next Big Thing]

Is that conjecture or an actual rumor?

That's been the rumor. I think it's much more than a rumor actually.

 

[Cesar R M]

Ohhhhhhhhh. No need to drudge that back up.

sadly.. stinky things have the habit of coming out by themselves.like putrefactive rotten corpses out of lakes.

 

[Cesar R M]

I can only imagine how much WDI charges to erect a 150 foot tall building

Its always expensive to have 300 managers, 10 workers and 1 ladder working on the clock.

 

[Sped2424]

That's been the rumor. I think it's much more than a rumor actually.

Now that would be the ultimate middle finger from DL to WDW and would glorify how differently the two are run. Especially if it's on the level of what Tokyo is getting.

 

[Next Big Thing]

Now that would be the ultimate middle finger from DL to WDW and would glorify how differently the two are run. Especially if it's on the level of what Tokyo is getting.

The problem with WDW was they were in such a rush to capitalize on it and I think they knew Epcot has been going downhill. They thought this would help, but it's only going to make things worse. They should've taken their time and used Frozen as one of the phases for the DHS redo.