WOW! This thread is going to end 2011 on a bang, ain't it?
I have been reading/skimming off and on, not sure I can keep up and I would like to enjoy some drinks and entertainment tonight ... so gonna try and comment on things I feel are most important.
But first, two things:
Props to Lightbulb for illuminating things from the technical to the artistic to the political (in the biz). People may not like what he says, but (much like Eddie Sotto -- who I wish would contribute to other threads like this one -- geez Eddie, you're gonna get a book outta your thread, relax!:ROFLOL
![Smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
he has been in the design meetings, the work trenches and around and back. You may not like what he says, again, but he has no agendas in saying it.
Second, very amusing how Niles drops those ever so secret Potter details on 12/31 when all the fannbois are supposed to be a twitter and glued to Twitter over Disney's marketing plans for 2012. I'm sure no one wanted those 'confidential' plans to leak ... just like no one at Disney is allowing certain WDI-FLA projects in blue sky to get out to the fans, either. Yeah, sure I believe all of that! ![Roll Eyes :rolleyes: :rolleyes:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
![Roll Eyes :rolleyes: :rolleyes:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
![Roll Eyes :rolleyes: :rolleyes:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
With that in mind ... (and wishing everyone here a very MAGICal 2012!) ...
Please don't misrepresent what I said. For the record, I said and stand behind my belief that WDI doesn't have nearly the talent it did 15 years ago ... AND that it wastes much of the talent it does have, while giving lesser talents major projects on which they invariably overspend, overpromise and underdeliver.
And, yes, I am psyched for Shanghai because I know some of the plans ... and I expect it to be a physically beautiful park, much like all the Asian parks. I am cautious on the small attraction slate that has thus far leaked out.
I hope I 'splained it above. But, yes, I do think WDI needs its best talents to wow us because most of what has come out at WDW the last decade has been from lesser talents (some projects like EE nonwithstanding) and there is absolutely nothing from that decade that was a real wow or even close.
And I do believe if WDI outsourced to folks out there, they could absolutely deliver better quality product at lower cost to the company. Lightbulb stated that.
Is RSR really worth somewhere between $300-400 million? The priciest attraction in theme park history? I sure hope so ... but my feeling is I'll enjoy it, but won't be blown away in a way I should be for that cost.
WDI doesn't suck. But a lot of its alleged 'talent' does. (times like this I miss old Merfie!) But there is plenty of talent there that can deliver high quality product IF they are allowed. You don't pay someone like a Tony Baxter the kind of salary he has been making and basically have him do almost nothing for a decade. That's sheer lunacy (unless, of course, you're afraid of what he might say, do or write when he 'retires') from business and creative perspectives.