unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
Pretty sure I do and I'm not the only one who feels like this.
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The Spirited Seventh Heaven ...
- Thread starter WDW1974
- Start date
Are you asking me what I think of George Kalogridis as a Disney exec or a member of our species? (had to ask because the man and I have had a 'complicated' relationship in the real world largely due to ... him!)
I never got the hate for Meg, especially when fanbois didn't seem to have it for Al Weiss who did far mor damage over a much longer tenure.
George ... he cares. I will say that. But he ONLY cares as much as his bosses will allow. When they give him the proper funding, George is smart enough to use it well. He isn't a Phil Holmes type. And George will, to some degree, fight for things he believes in. But at this point of his career, he's largely just playing the role of good soldier who was rewarded for taking a few bullets along the way by being brought home as the conquering Queen of the Kingdom (c'mon, that's a joke that he even he would laugh at, so relax!)
I don't see him rocking the boat. And, unless Meg retires and Bob is feeling generous before he leave in 2016, this contract is George's swan song before he becomes a retired exec living the Central Florida dream and likely consulting on the side (only to Disney) while his partner, Andy 'Hail and' Hardy continues to work as a top level financial guy for TDO (Andy is considerably younger than George).
help any?
EDITED TO INCLUDE: George's strong suit has always been in OPs and I do see some improvement in various areas that he may well have had influence on.
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Okay @WDW1974, present and will be semi-patiently waiting. I'm soooo itching to compare my initial sentiments to what you have to say. Because I know so much less about the great west, I'm not as sure of myself with these things.
If you are talking about the Club 33 redo, and I think you are my dear @sweetpee_1993, then I'll say I started commenting over in @Expo_Seeker40 's thread.
Largely ... I HATE, HATE, HATE what they have done. Read my buddy Andy 'Fidel's Little Bro' Castro's Twitfeed and much of what he says would be my feelings.
They have taken the Walt out of the Club. They have made it more ordinary. And they have done so with the worst of intentions (and artistic execution). This was designed to take advantage of the bloggerswho have been getting in 'thanks to friends' ... There are some folks with money who are Lifestylers and would pay to tell their flocks how special they are because they are part of 'Walt's Private Club'.
Thing is, though, they destroyed it to make a NoS version of Walt's at DLP (a restaurant anyone can go to and one that you can usually even walk up to on the day you wish to dine and get in).
They have destroyed so much of the ambiance of NoS by making a club that was hidden very well, in plain sight, and made it a ''LOOK HERE, YOU LOSERS!!! DON'T YOU WISH YOU COULD GET INTO THIS VERY SPECIAL PLACE THAT IS SOOOOO IN YOUR FACE HERE???!!!'
Seriously. That is what I get out of it.
Many of the design decisions, especially on the outside, show an incredible ineptitude, a total lack of the idea of scope, theme and locale. It's like they took the Club 33 and went from it being DL's 'best kept secret' and turned it into the centerpiece of the land. Something that envelops and overwhelms what had been DL's most picturesque and peaceful land.
I could rant all day about it and, understand this, I have NEVER dined there. I had a few chances and things never worked out. I have been inside, however.
I have very little desire to go inside here and dine with the Lifestylers. Very little.
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cw1982
Well-Known Member
Interesting. I've always thought of USA Today as being more of a news source... in what way was anything in that piece news? It read like one big sales pitch.
BTW, if @WDWFigment (the only Lifestyler I have any respect for and I have lots!) winds up dining there again (yes, he has been there ... no, I have never asked how), I'd love to see an honest talk about the design choices and greed behind the moves and not a review of the new menu that 99% of all visitors will never get to try and, therefore, don't need opinions/reviews of.
When I see some of the trash that has been to the Club over the last decade, I totally get why Disney did what it did. What I don't get is how the rank and file members, folks who may have memberships that go back to the late 60s or 70s, didn't speak out and just tell Michael "When I left DAK nothing was working!' Colglazier a very loud NO!
Disney didn't improve the Club. They destroyed it to reinvent it for a new clientele.
Someone please Tweet this or send it over to Andy Castro (seriously!) since he seems to be the biggest attacker of it in the Twitverse.
When I see some of the trash that has been to the Club over the last decade, I totally get why Disney did what it did. What I don't get is how the rank and file members, folks who may have memberships that go back to the late 60s or 70s, didn't speak out and just tell Michael "When I left DAK nothing was working!' Colglazier a very loud NO!
Disney didn't improve the Club. They destroyed it to reinvent it for a new clientele.
Someone please Tweet this or send it over to Andy Castro (seriously!) since he seems to be the biggest attacker of it in the Twitverse.
You used the word 'pro' ...
Almost, but not quite.
Newspapers and TV stations (and radio) are run by professionals (for the most part) who have training and experience.
Many/most podcasts are done by people with no experience in broadcasting, media or journalism who just like to hear themselves talk.
I do agree that you can find quality content in any medium (I haven't found any in a Disney podcast yet, though! ... the best would be the DIS Unplugged and that was still largely full of incorrect information mixed with a rehash of news one could simply find on the first page of a site like say ... this one!)
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Pulled up iTunes and "Featured Providers" of podcasts include The Economist, NPR, American Public Media, CBS News, Slate, ESPN, BBC, TED, WBEZ 91.5 and WNYC. Are those not professional organizations with professional broadcasters?
Placed content.
Like those 30-minute commercials for vacuum cleaners or cookery that you'll see at 2 a.m. on your affiliates.
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
Are they doing Disney fanboi podcasts?
cw1982
Well-Known Member
Wow... I'm laughing at the comparison, but it's spot on.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Exactly.
And how many of them are devoted to Disney or UNI parks?
And the point of contention was statements regarding podcasts as an entire medium, not a specific genre.
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
This is a Disney site...what other podcast would we be discussing?
danlb_2000
Premium Member
Podcasts are like anything else on the internet, the net lowers the bar for entry so pretty much anyone can make their content available to the entire world. This does make it harder to separate the good from the bad but there is good stuff out there. I used to listen to Disney podcasts on a much more regular basis, but now they rarely provide content that I don't already get here. I still do listen to DIS from time to time and I do have to give them credit for using their podcast to do some good charity work.
Personally I love podcasts. I am a software developer and learned a while back that I could listen to podcasts while I work. I don't fully retain everything I hear, but I get enough to make it worth while. I normally listen to 3 or 4 podcasts a day.
I don't have any issue with the medium. I have entered the 21st century (kicking and screaming as I am carried on a gold-plated throne by fanboi minions wearing very little!) ... podcasts are legit.
Now, would you find me a Disney or UNI one that is truly worth listening to regularly?
Tigger1988
Well-Known Member
These are the exceptions, OBVIOUSLY!!
danlb_2000
Premium Member
This is a spirited thread which tends to contain discussions of many things, most of which have nothing to do with Disney.
DonaldDoleWhip
Well-Known Member
Nope, I didn't see them. It looks like Iger and Staggs were at separate opening before the 'actual' grand opening on the 10th of July, which included a smaller ceremony (here's a video of what I saw). Everyone seems to have a lot of confidence in this new area, which is certainly an improvement for WDS. For some people, the ride might even beat the Mine Train, which has one nice scene, a pretty exterior, and not much else.
Frankly, I think La Place de Rémy and New Fantasyland suffer from some of the same issues - they're beautiful on the outside, but the content still leaves me thinking, "that's it? How did this cost so much?" I hope the investment pays off for DLP so they can continue expanding and improving, because the resort could use a lot of work. In fact, Ratatouille and hotel refurbishments are just the start of things, as WDS seriously needed (needs?) something with a clear "wow" factor. And Disney Village looks like an ugly mess compared to DTD in Anaheim or Orlando. In comparison, WDW has several areas that feel more than adequate, with some being downright magical (such as Africa and Asia in AK). Also, WDW as a whole does immersion better than any other Disney resort, and many areas were built well from the start. That has given TDO plenty of slack to become complacent with expansions and maintenance.
You're right that WDW could be doing more with the money they're bringing in, but I'm still curious about two things: (1) How expensive is it to maintain WDW's properties and grounds each year? (2) How does the spending on Disney Springs and Avatar compare to upcoming projects at other Disney resorts? I mean, right now it doesn't seem like there's anything major on the horizon for DLR or DLP (announced, anyway), while Hong Kong has Iron Man and a new hotel coming up. In comparison, WDW has a few big projects in the works, even setting aside MyMagic+ and the related infrastructure upgrades. I actually love WDW's new website (especially compared to the international Disney resorts), and it seems like DL has actually borrowed the website improvements entirely (minus FP+ and MagicBand management).
I don't mean to defend WDW, because I've noticed the complacency and poor maintenance - sometimes in the resort rooms, but especially in the parks. It just seems like there's a mismatch between what WDW is currently doing vs. what's expected. Frankly, the only thing missing is a Star Wars announcement (and perhaps something on the horizon for Epcot, such as an Imagination redo) and I'd say WDW is nailing it...minus the maintenance of any attraction besides Haunted Mansion. If WDW's future is truly bleak after Pandora opens, then you've definitely got me feeling nervous.