Walt Disney Imagineers Unveil Mysterious Portrait...

[lazyboy97o]

That's different than what is happening now. I don't need to see the Fantasyland Imagineers honor themselves (again, that would be like me giving myself an award for the Most MAGICal Member Here Since 2008!) by painting cherubs with their faces or their children's on the ceiling of BoG.

A painter using family or friends in a painting is nothing outrageous or new. Its a way to have realistic faces without making them up. Artists have always used models. The difference, which makes for the issue, is the publicity and what comes across as choosing certain models, names, etc. So that they can be marketed as a "detail."

 

[HMF]

Somewhere inside Disney, the motivation has changed. The use of Imagineers' names, for the most part, were originally not so much about recognition and promotion, but layering an experience. Names on the gravestones in the Haunted Mansion was to have some personal fun while filling the need of a tombstone to have a name. Now it's about marketing "secrets" to fans who like to feel superior because they're "in the know." What was once merely part of the design experience is now more and more part of the marketing package.

The Haunted Mansion Disaster Queue is the ultimate example of this. endless tributes for the sake of endless tributes.

 

[HMF]

If Holmes was so unliked how has it took them this long to get rid of him? And then make a portrait of him -

Because the people with the most power at the company (except maybe Lasseter) like him.

 

[SirLink]

Because the people with the most power at the company (except maybe Lasseter) like him.

But the phrasing from Spirit was "Widely disliked within the company", which is why I don't understand how he still has a job.

But I can't wait until Phil and Meg are gone, most likely their replacements won't be any better! But oh well...

 

[G00fyDad]

But the phrasing from Spirit was "Widely disliked within the company", which is why I don't understand how he still has a job.

But I can't wait until Phil and Meg are gone, most likely their replacements won't be any better! But oh well...

Don't think like that. Be positive. I am hesitant to say that it cannot get worse than the two of them, but we know it can.

 

[lazyboy97o]

The Haunted Mansion Disaster Queue is the ultimate example of this. endless tributes for the sake of endless tributes.

"Not uh! It's because the Imagineers love Disney and live Disney just like me! They said so on the DisneyParks blog! You just don't love Disney they way we do."

[/sarcasm]

 

[kucarachi]

Barnabas T. Bullion....sounds like a fancy soup heir.

 

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

Personally, I hate the name choice. Barnabas will be forever linked in my mind with Barnabas Collins from Dark Shadows. I watched that show every day after school. Too bad the Burton reincarnation sucked.

 

[celluloid]

I have no doubt that is partly why they chose the name. Stereotype for sure but as someone else pointed out the last name is supposed to sound like Billions but comically sounds like the Soup broth.

 

[Captain Neo]

Because the people with the most power at the company (except maybe Lasseter) like him.

I don't think most of the people of power in the company (the board of directors, pixar, lasseter, etc.) even know who the guy is.

 

[Captain Neo]

So when they did that refurb a few years back, did they not replace track then?

It really needs to be torn down and rebuilt like Disneyland's was

 

[Captain Neo]

Is there anything that you know for sure? Or is this just speculation? Because I am seriously getting really scared to go back to WDW until there are some major changes. I just dont understand how ride maintenance and safety is not the top priority in ANY park.

Let me just say this. A few years ago when Disneyland's management didn't care about the park and maintenance took a hit 3 people died. Space Mountain was literally a short time away from a serious accident. When the OC register questioned the top engineer at Disneyland at the time his response was "When you have a place with this much technology and engineering going on and this many people....one has to expect casualties".

Thankfully there was a regime change and Disneyland is the better for it. All the more puzzling as to why the company is letting the WDW parks fall into the same state that's going to lead to trouble.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I don't see this backstory or the nod to the Peculiar Purple Pie Man of Porcupine Peak as anything problematic. But we all know what it's leading towards and what all of this is doing. A backstory has existed for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad before, this isn't that far removed from the original backstory. However, by putting it out there now it's likely pointing to elements in the interactive queue. These elements will likely be necessary if waits become longer.

What bothers me is this line of logic that's occurred since 1971:

• We can earn money by charging more for better attractions, let's create a tiered system where people can pay more to get on the rides they want.
• People don't like this tiered system let's switch to a single ticket price that's all inclusive. Our unique shops will more than make up for the change.
• Let's introduce Fastpass so people aren't waiting in queues and are instead going to shops or restaurants and spending money.
• Crap, people are just going on more rides. I don't understand why people want to use this newly created free time to go on rides when there is perfectly good merchandise to purchase
• Wait a minute, perhaps our merchandise options are too complex, let's simplify it.
• Some people down the street are selling a bunch of merchandise about a mythical land and a mythical set of characters. Let's do a poor job of ripping that off without any desirable merchandise
• That didn't work either, maybe we can charge people to get on rides quicker. This way we're getting money from people without actually selling them merchandise. And the people that don't pay to get on rides quicker will get jealous and they'll pay to get on rides as well.

 

[RSoxNo1]

The Haunted Mansion Disaster Queue is the ultimate example of this. endless tributes for the sake of endless tributes.

You're right, The Haunted Mansion never had references to Disney employees anywhere in the attraction or the queue prior to the interactive queue. I understand your complaint, but it's not the best example.

 

[alissafalco]

When the OC register questioned the top engineer at Disneyland at the time his response was "When you have a place with this much technology and engineering going on and this many people....one has to expect casualties".
.

Thats really disturbing.

 

[bearboysnc]

I think it's funny the company that charges $12.95 for popcorn, create yet ANOTHER backstory about greed.

 

[IWant2GoNow]

I think it's funny the company that charges $12.95 for popcorn, create yet ANOTHER backstory about greed.

 

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

I can't help but think that Tony calls all the shots regarding his future precisely because no one at TWDC ever wants that book written

I have a strong suspicion that the book already exists, and was written shortly after Tony lost control of Anaheim to Barry Braverman in 2001.

Perhaps it's been added to over the years, but the tome could probably be published with minimal effort at a moment's notice. And Tony certainly has the available resources to publish this tell-all, even self-publish.

It will be interesting to see if Burbank caves and gives him a meaty project to work on next year. If not, then I guess the book threat wasn't threatening enough.

 

[Lee]

If not, then I guess the book threat wasn't threatening enough.

It ought to be. That would be one sordid collection of tales.
If I were in charge, which clearly I'm not, I sure wouldn't want it out there.

 

[IWant2GoNow]

It ought to be. That would be one sordid collection of tales.
If I were in charge, which clearly I'm not, I sure wouldn't want it out there.

Can I put a pre-order in on that now? Sounds juicy! Even if it is sour...

I'd love to know the behind-the-magic on how Disney left behind the magic.