WDI integration with DCP announced today

GiveMeTheMusic

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Walt Disney Imagineering, under the leadership of Bob Weis, will take on the responsibility of developing consumer products such as merchandise, games, publishing and apps. This is a big growth of WDI’s responsibility and he will be supported by several executives moving from Disney Consumer Products & Interactive Media.

In addition, Kalogridis and D’Amaro will now report to Catherine Powell (current head of DLRP) who will oversee WDW, DLR & DLRP, reporting to Chapek. The leaders of SDL, HKDL and TDR will report to Colglazier, who reports to Chapek.
 

BrianLo

Well-Known Member
Well this either has the potential to move merchandise up a notch or parks down... or both.

I wonder if in this whole shenanigans we'll see more dedicated park (and ride) specific merchandise. If it's the ride people controlling the merch there is less push for a generic Mickey plush in the Haunted Mansion gift shop.
 

mousehockey37

Well-Known Member
Maybe they can actually put out different color monorail sets than blue and orange. Unless it's changed this year, it's been blue and orange for some time now...
 

GiveMeTheMusic

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Well this either has the potential to move merchandise up a notch or parks down... or both.

I wonder if in this whole shenanigans we'll see more dedicated park (and ride) specific merchandise. If it's the ride people controlling the merch there is less push for a generic Mickey plush in the Haunted Mansion gift shop.

What’s concerning are the execs moving to WDI from DCP. We’ll see how it goes.

Not sure how Walt would have felt about Imagineering doing merch. Can’t decide if he’d love it or hate it, not that it matters.
 

BrianLo

Well-Known Member
What’s concerning are the execs moving to WDI from DCP. We’ll see how it goes.

Not sure how Walt would have felt about Imagineering doing merch. Can’t decide if he’d love it or hate it, not that it matters.

Do you think this was at all driven by SW:GE? I imagine all sorts of conflict between the two divisions with the parks guys wanting to create all their own branded specific merchandise for the land. Meanwhile the merch crew wanting to shove all the same usual crap... all coming to a head where the solution is just to dissolve them into one unit.
 

SuddenStorm

Well-Known Member
More and more the park shops devolve into the equivalent of your mall's local Disney store where T shirts, lanyards, keychains, and those darn bubble guns are all the rage.

I'd like to think that this means an increase in ride specific merchandise. I'd love to buy accurate attraction figurines, scale models of the attractions, quality in park music releases, recreations of attraction signs and vehicles, etc. Disney has made these all available in the past for some attractions, but not all and not consistently- and with varying degrees of quality. I'd love to see quality park merchandise become more regularly available.

But, I fear my wishes won't become reality, and the merchandise will continue to devolve in overall quality with these changes.
 

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
More and more the park shops devolve into the equivalent of your mall's local Disney store where T shirts, lanyards, keychains, and those darn bubble guns are all the rage.

I'd like to think that this means an increase in ride specific merchandise. I'd love to buy accurate attraction figurines, scale models of the attractions, quality in park music releases, recreations of attraction signs and vehicles, etc. Disney has made these all available in the past for some attractions, but not all and not consistently- and with varying degrees of quality. I'd love to see quality park merchandise become more regularly available.

But, I fear my wishes won't become reality, and the merchandise will continue to devolve in overall quality with these changes.


Yes!
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
Related to this is a new head honcho of the newly created Western Region. Catherine Powell from Paris is now in charge of Disneyland, WDW and Paris. Interestingly, she is moving from Paris to LA this summer for this new role.

Long gone are the days when Florida suits in the swamps of Orlando ran Disneyland from afar and totally botched things up in SoCal. Now all senior Parks execs are located here in SoCal. Josh D'Amaro as DLR President, his new boss Catherine Powell as Western Region boss, (plus Colglazier as Eastern Region guy in charge of Asia) and Chairman Bob Chapek; all of them in SoCal together enjoying the weather and vibe. The days of Al Weiss and Meg Crofton and the Orlando culture are over for senior leadership. That has to be good news.

From Chapek's email being shared online by Disneyland CM's....

"For our theme parks, we will mirror the regional structure that has been succesful in Asia by creating a new position leading the teams in the U.S. and Paris. To that end, I am pleased to announce that Catherine Powell will take on a new role leading the Western Region, reporting to me. Disneyland Paris has been reinvigorated under Catherine's leadership, and I am thrilled to bring her breadth of experience, expertise, and energy to this new role. Reporting to Catherine will be George Kalogridis and the Walt Disney World Resort team and Josh D'Amaro and the Disneyland Resort team. In addition to these new responsibilities, Catherine will continue in her current role leading Disneyland Paris until a succesor is named at a later date. Catherine will relocate to Southern California this summer."
 

Disney Irish

Premium Member
Related to this is a new head honcho of the newly created Western Region. Catherine Powell from Paris is now in charge of Disneyland, WDW and Paris. Interestingly, she is moving from Paris to LA this summer for this new role.

Long gone are the days when Florida suits in the swamps of Orlando ran Disneyland from afar and totally botched things up in SoCal. Now all senior Parks execs are located here in SoCal. Josh D'Amaro as DLR President, his new boss Catherine Powell as Western Region boss, (plus Colglazier as Eastern Region guy in charge of Asia) and Chairman Bob Chapek; all of them in SoCal together enjoying the weather and vibe. The days of Al Weiss and Meg Crofton and the Orlando culture are over for senior leadership. That has to be good news.

From Chapek's email being shared online by Disneyland CM's....

"For our theme parks, we will mirror the regional structure that has been succesful in Asia by creating a new position leading the teams in the U.S. and Paris. To that end, I am pleased to announce that Catherine Powell will take on a new role leading the Western Region, reporting to me. Disneyland Paris has been reinvigorated under Catherine's leadership, and I am thrilled to bring her breadth of experience, expertise, and energy to this new role. Reporting to Catherine will be George Kalogridis and the Walt Disney World Resort team and Josh D'Amaro and the Disneyland Resort team. In addition to these new responsibilities, Catherine will continue in her current role leading Disneyland Paris until a succesor is named at a later date. Catherine will relocate to Southern California this summer."

This confirms what I had been saying that parks heads will now have more responsibility over decisions concerning their respective parks. I see this as a good thing.
 

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
CEO - Bog Iger
  1. Parks, Experiences, and Consumer Products - Bob Chapek
    1. Western Parks - Catherine Powell
      1. Paris - Catherine Powell (until a replacement is found)
      2. Orlando - George Kalogridis
      3. Anaheim - Josh D'Amaro
    2. Eastern Parks - Michael Colglazier
      1. Shangahi
      2. Hong Kong
      3. Japan
    3. Signature Experiences (DCL, DVC, Adventures, Aulani) - Jeff Vaje
    4. Global Product Management & Distribution (Retail, licensing, online, shopDisney) - Paul Gainer
    5. Disney Stores - Josh Silverman
    6. WDI & Development of consumer merch/apps - Bob Weis
  2. Media Networks (TV) - Ben Sherwood (Disney/ABC) & James Pitaro (ESPN)
  3. Studio Entertainment (Movies) - Alan Horn
    1. WD Animation Studios
    2. WD Studios
    3. Pixar Studios
    4. Marvel Studios
    5. LucasFilm Studio
    6. Disney Theatrical Group
    7. Disney Musical Group
  4. Direct to Consumer & International (streaming) - Chariman, Kevin Mayer (previously, Chief Strategy Officer)
    1. Programming - Agnes Chu (previously Senior Vice President)
    2. BAMTECH (streaming platform for Disney and ESPN) - Michael Paull
    3. global advertising sales - Rita Ferro & Edward Erhardt (ESPN)
    4. content distribution - Janice Marinelli
    5. global distribution networks
 

Curious Constance

Well-Known Member
Is this mainly theme park sold merchandise that will be designed by imagineers now or all Disney merchandise as in stuff sold at Target and Amazon too? (RIP Toys R Us)
And what is happening with the old toy designers?
 

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