Tony Baxter has announced his retirement, effective TOMORROW 2/1/13

[pumpkin7]

Although he hasn't ventured over to WDW in quite a few years, I think I speak for quite a few people when I say:

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Please let ALL the 'new' imagineers keep Tony on speed dial for help, forever, on every project, forever...

 

[juniorthomas]

Farewell, TB. Here's hoping wherever you spend your retirement will be well themed and intricately detailed.

 

[RandySavage]

I'm a fan of Baxter's work - who couldn't be - and appreciate what he's done and the quality he stood/stands for, but, to be fair, I believe at the beginning of his career, Fitzgerald was the story guy/writer for Horizons, which was one massive, positive contribution to my park-going experience (I think it remains among the best narrative ride scripts ever done in a theme park). I think Fitzgerald was recently a part of Star Tours II (not sure how involved), which turned out really well - even in the face of having to incorporate the Prequels.

Shame to read that they didn't get along.

 

[HMF]

Tony was right to call Eric Jacobsen out on the bulls***. Enough is enough. Notice how the one good attraction that everybody likes is Cars Land which Fitzgerald and Jacobson had no say on? Everything they put there fingers on has been awful. Fitzgerald and Jacobsen are the Joel Schumacher & McG of Disney attractions

Jacobson is too busy with being in charge of WDW Projects to have any influence on Cars Land. As for Fitzgerald, He is an excellent Show Writer but a horrible Creative Executive.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I believe Jacobson headed the Hall of Presidents re-do. Beyond that, I'm not sure what to attach to him that I would consider quality in the last 15 years.

 

[Captain Neo]

Jacobsons changes to Hall of Presidents were mediocre at best. Any Imagineer could have done the same job or possibly better. Fitzgerald is a horrible show writer and while he was put in the spotlight of Star Tours II that project originally started out under Baxter years ago and me thinks Fitzgerald used politcal manuevering to take it away from him and incorporate his ideas and stole credit.

Look what's happening at Disney especially with Baxter being forced out isn't pretty.

 

[HMF]

Jacobsons changes to Hall of Presidents were mediocre at best. Any Imagineer could have done the same job or possibly better. Fitzgerald is a horrible show writer and while he was put in the spotlight of Star Tours II that project originally started out under Baxter years ago and me thinks Fitzgerald used politcal manuevering to take it away from him and incorporate his ideas and stole credit.

Look what's happening at Disney especially with Baxter being forced out isn't pretty.

Doris Kearns Goodwin deserves a lot of credit for that as well.

 

[HMF]

Fitzgerald is a horrible show writer

I take it you think the scripts for the Cronkite and Irons versions of Spaceship Earth and Horizons were terrible then?

 

[RandySavage]

I take it you think the scripts for the Cronkite and Irons versions of Spaceship Earth and Horizons were terrible then?

Do you know if he (or who) wrote "The Seas" film script? (e.g. "Try to imagine...") It's sort of the same style and another great piece of writing.

 

[HMF]

Do you know if he (or who) wrote "The Seas" film script? (e.g. "Try to imagine...") It's sort of the same style and another great piece of writing.

I don't know and he sold out back in 2001

 

[Captain Neo]

I take it you think the scripts for the Cronkite and Irons versions of Spaceship Earth and Horizons were terrible then?

I'm shocked that your defending such a shady character but as for those scripts they were good but I am skeptical he wrote them on his own and if he did all I can say is that the most logical explanation is that back then he put the effort in and worked hard but when the cultural climate changed he decided it was easier to play lapdog.

 

[wdwmagic]

I believe Jacobson headed the Hall of Presidents re-do. Beyond that, I'm not sure what to attach to him that I would consider quality in the last 15 years.

Tower of Terror would be his biggest hit

 

[RSoxNo1]

Tower of Terror would be his biggest hit

Yeah, I'd say that definitely counts.

 

[djlaosc]

Tower of Terror would be his biggest hit

Tower of Terror might be his biggest hit, but it would be out of the "15 year" period asked about (unless he was in charge of the updates)

 

[wdwmagic]

Tower of Terror might be his biggest hit, but it would be out of the "15 year" period asked about (unless he was in charge of the updates)

He was indeed on the original and the updates.

 

[Mammymouse]

He was indeed on the original and the updates.

Ah, to have another Tower of Terror like ride - boy those were the days!

 

[Captain Neo]

Tower of Terror would be his biggest hit

Are you sure he was a director on that project? Maybe he contributed to it but i'm fairly certain Bob Weiss and a few others were actually the ones who designed it and such

 

[wdwmagic]

Are you sure he was a director on that project? Maybe he contributed to it but i'm fairly certain Bob Weiss and a few others were actually the ones who designed it and such

Eric was the Executive Designer on ToT, along with Tim Kirk as the Concept Designer, and writer Michael Sprout.