News Walt Disney Imagineering Leaving California, Moving To Florida... EDIT: Never Mind!

[britain]

Well, that's a good point. And it may be the case here with this Lake Nona move.

Maybe they'll just stack 'em up like they do in Celebration in bland, boring, cheap cubicle warehouses. With a Starbucks cart in the lobby, a Panera Bread across the street, and an Applebee's or TGIFriday's nearby in reserve for really big team-building events like Carol's birthday or the release of new cover sheets for the TPS Reports. All surrounded by acres of parking for acres of Camrys.

But I hope for at least the Imagineering campus built from scratch, that they do something at least on par with modern corporate America. Or perhaps take inspiration from some of America's leading museums and cultural campuses.

Like The Getty Museum in west LA (that apparently even has a hidden Mickey)...

Or just a campus of glassy and modern pavilions, like the Apple Park visitor's center?

Portland is redoing its entire airport, and when it opens in two years it will have the largest wood-framed roof in the world, using native Oregon timber. With giant skylights in it, and native trees beneath it. It's hyper-local and meaningful to locals, but also impressive on a grand scale to global travelers.

Or the soon to open Lucas Museum in west LA...

There's a 21st century world out there of cutting edge architecture and inspiring man-made environments.

WDI's new campus does not have to be another boring, cheaply built office park next to an Applebee's.

All beautiful examples, yes. I just don’t think they have any ‘starchitecture’ ambition in them.

You can’t tell me that the people responsible for Cosmic Rewind are actually interested in off-stage architecture anymore. We are decades away from Eisner’s Michael Graves / Frank Ghery infatuation.

They want anonymity and blandness.

“Boring Corporate America will take care of the outside, the Imagineers will take care of the inside - just don’t think you are irreplaceable.”

— Walt Disney​

 

[lazyboy97o]

All beautiful examples, yes. I just don’t think they have any ‘starchitecture’ ambition in them.

You can’t tell me that the people responsible for Cosmic Rewind are actually interested in off-stage architecture anymore. We are decades away from the Eisner’s Michael Graves / Frank Ghery infatuation.

The Festival Center was a starchitect project.

 

[britain]

The Festival Center was a starchitect project.

On-stage, yes. I added a bit more to my previous post. They’ll spend a fortune on ‘decorations’. But they only feel justified doing that because they go with cheap and bland outside the berms.

 

[TP2000]

The food at Applebee's is what I imagine Evil tastes like.

I just went to their website, just to see if they still had that chicken croissant thing I liked the last time I went to an Applebee's 25 years ago. I couldn't find it.

But the rest of their menu is just... beige. Everything at Applebee's is beige.

Somehow, the corporate chef's at Applebee's have even been able to turn an entree salad beige.

I feel so badly for Carol from Celebration, Florida on her birthday, the poor dear.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

The food at Applebee's is what I imagine Evil tastes like.

I know everyone’s just poking fun with the Applebees thing but Orlando actually has some pretty amazing restaurants, especially in the Dr Phillips area.

The Imagineers will have no problem finding food options for whatever they feel like eating.

 

[TP2000]

I know everyone’s just poking fun with the Applebees thing but Orlando actually has some pretty amazing restaurants, especially in the Dr Phillips area.

The Imagineers will have no problem finding food options for whatever they feel like eating.

They really do have some good restaurants in Orlando. Most are run by big corporate chains like Darden or Patina, unlike hipster enclaves in some cities with chef-driven personality places, but they are still solid choices in Orlando. And it looks like Dr. Phillips area has become a fun hangout spot.

I think the Imagineers need to have a creative and vibrant working environment in which to create their products, or else we'll just get more KiteTails and Midway Mania knock-offs.

Most of the Disney office complexes are the opposite of vibrant, and that Celebration low-security prison office park is a complete joke. It's soul-sucking and personality-killing. It's like the movie Office Space, with the cubicle farm and the Flingers across the parking lot. And someone's got a case of the Mondays!

I honestly just want Carol from the 4th Floor to have a good birthday, for once in her life.

 

[TP2000]

Okay, just one more and then I swear I will stop...

When Carol goes with the 4th floor TPS Reporting Team across the parking lot to Applebee's for her birthday, this is the dessert she gets. It's beige. 3.8 Stars!

(You can't make this up, it's really what dessert looks like on the Applebee's website.)

https://www.applebees.com/en

 

[Figments Friend]

Why am I suddenly feeling hungry...?



All this talk about food, In-N-Out, and Imagineers having to fend for themselves in the wilds of Orlando has me reaching for the menus.
Tacos for all.



-

 

[TP2000]

Why am I suddenly feeling hungry...?



All this talk about food, In-N-Out, and Imagineers having to fend for themselves in the wilds of Orlando has me reaching for the menus.
Tacos for all.



-

Oh, my dear lady.

You've got legitimate lobster rolls at your fingertips 24/7, and you are talking tacos???

Please, just do us all a favor and have some real New England seafood. Leave the tacos for the bar crawling college kids in Fullerton on Tuesday's.

TP2000 True Confession: That gooey and beige Applebee's dessert actually looks kind of good.

 

[truecoat]

As a few examples of what truly innovative corporate architecture is like in the 21st century....

Amazon's headquarters in downtown Seattle are architecturally stunning and purposely invite people to play and visit. This is NOT a humanless and charmless Celebration office park with an Applebee's.

Pre-covid.

 

[truecoat]

Okay, just one more and then I swear I will stop...

When Carol goes with the 4th floor TPS Reporting Team across the parking lot to Applebee's for her birthday, this is the dessert she gets. It's beige. 3.8 Stars!

(You can't make this up, it's really what dessert looks like on the Applebee's website.)

https://www.applebees.com/en

I prefer Chotchkie's and Flingers.

 

[DrAlice]

"I don't really like to talk about my flair."

Classic movie. Sad that it might be used to describe working for Disney Imagineering.

 

[TransportationGuy]

Affected imagineers have been given a familiarization trip for a trip to see WDW and Lake Nona on the company’s dime. Feedback has ranged from really excited about the opportunity, lack of traffic, cost of living etc. to leaving the company over the move. All affected imagineers are expected to provide an answer about whether they’ll be moving or resign by 5pm on 12/7.

 

[Figments Friend]

Oh, my dear lady.

You've got legitimate lobster rolls at your fingertips 24/7, and you are talking tacos???

Please, just do us all a favor and have some real New England seafood. Leave the tacos for the bar crawling college kids in Fullerton on Tuesday's.

TP2000 True Confession: That gooey and beige Applebee's dessert actually looks kind of good.

Oh don't worry my friend.
I have my fill of unmatched epic local seafood at least once or twice a week.
Those lobster rolls I'm always talking about are spectacular.
And the local friend clams and baked fish.
Mmmm....
( drools )

But I confess I am also addicted to the Chipolte located where I work, so also crave a taco fix every now and then.
There is also a local authentic Mexican restaurant near me that is outright awesome.
Real food, real spice, and by the Gods REAL Churros.
Not 'Theme Park overhyped Churros' that taste like dried out sandpaper.

I'll take all of the above right now.
Except the Theme Park Churros.
Yes, please.


-

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Affected imagineers have been given a familiarization trip for a trip to see WDW and Lake Nona on the company’s dime. Feedback has ranged from really excited about the opportunity, lack of traffic, cost of living etc. to leaving the company over the move. All affected imagineers are expected to provide an answer about whether they’ll be moving or resign by 5pm on 12/7.

Perhaps I messed it but why are they giving such an early deadline if they haven’t even started building the campus yet?

Have they decided to move them into temporary facilities while the campus is built?

 

[TP2000]

Affected imagineers have been given a familiarization trip for a trip to see WDW and Lake Nona on the company’s dime. Feedback has ranged from really excited about the opportunity, lack of traffic, cost of living etc. to leaving the company over the move. All affected imagineers are expected to provide an answer about whether they’ll be moving or resign by 5pm on 12/7.

I can easily imagine that the division in those two camps is mostly based on age, somewhere around the age of 40.

Under 40's went and looked at Orlando and suddenly discovered they can afford a house with a yard on their upper-middle class salary. Sign us up! We can finally buy a house and have children and be normal!

Over 40's went and looked at Orlando and realized they were too old to make this move and they had enough equity in their current Valley tract home with the upgraded kitchen to not make it worth putting up with humidity and bugs and Applebee's for lunch. I'll quit! I'm somebody! I'm cool! I have a Tesla and granite countertops in La Crescenta!

This was likely factored in to the decision by Burbank to move WDI to Florida and abandon California. It certainly helps the bottom line for Burbank. Weed out the higher paid over-40's by getting them to quit instead of being laid off, and then embrace the lower paid under-40's and move them to a state that costs less to do business in. Win-win!

While I can make fun of Florida and Applebee's endlessly, I'm also reminded that our Founding Father's were brilliant in creating a federal system that pits each state in the union against each other in a competition for state citizens.

 

[CaptinEO]

Oh don't worry my friend.
I have my fill of unmatched epic local seafood at least once or twice a week.
Those lobster rolls I'm always talking about are spectacular.
And the local friend clams and baked fish.
Mmmm....
( drools )

But I confess I am also addicted to the Chipolte located where I work, so also crave a taco fix every now and then.
There is also a local authentic Mexican restaurant near me that is outright awesome.
Real food, real spice, and by the Gods REAL Churros.
Not 'Theme Park overhyped Churros' that taste like dried out sandpaper.

I'll take all of the above right now.
Except the Theme Park Churros.
Yes, please.


-

Disney's precooked frozen churros from Tio Pepe are absolutely over hyped. People act like Disneyland makes them fresh or something.

They are frozen churros available at grocery stores that are put in a toaster oven all day to keep warm.

It's the same thing as if Disney started selling hot pockets in the parks.

 

[TP2000]

Disney employees begin relocating from California to Florida: 'Business-friendly climate'

Some of the 2,000 Walt Disney Company employees moving from California to Florida are already eyeing up the housing market in Orlando.

www.foxbusiness.com

 

[DrAlice]

I can easily imagine that the division in those two camps is mostly based on age, somewhere around the age of 40.

Under 40's went and looked at Orlando and suddenly discovered they can afford a house with a yard on their upper-middle class salary. Sign us up! We can finally buy a house and have children and be normal!

Over 40's went and looked at Orlando and realized they were too old to make this move and they had enough equity in their current Valley tract home with the upgraded kitchen to not make it worth putting up with humidity and bugs and Applebee's for lunch. I'll quit! I'm somebody! I'm cool! I have a Tesla and granite countertops in La Crescenta!

This was likely factored in to the decision by Burbank to move WDI to Florida and abandon California. It certainly helps the bottom line for Burbank. Weed out the higher paid over-40's by getting them to quit instead of being laid off, and then embrace the lower paid under-40's and move them to a state that costs less to do business in. Win-win!

While I can make fun of Florida and Applebee's endlessly, I'm also reminded that our Founding Father's were brilliant in creating a federal system that pits each state in the union against each other in a competition for state citizens.

And this is exactly what I was concerned about when I first heard this news. By doing this, the company loses the corporate cultural heritage that was the WDC. Any people that were left that actually know what Disney is supposed to be about will be gone. Brand dilution will continue. Good luck with that, Disney.

 

[donsullivan]

…….You can’t tell me that the people responsible for Cosmic Rewind are actually interested in off-stage architecture anymore. We are decades away from Eisner’s Michael Graves / Frank Ghery infatuation……

That era resulted in the massive over-investment in hotels at Euro Disney Resort/Disneyland Paris nearly driving that park over the brink financially and pulling down everything else the company did in the parks for nearly a decade.