WSJ Imagineering Article

[James Alucobond]

That like Paradise Pier in DCA really should have probably killed off during the development phase.

It was part of a larger park. Having an anemic land at launch is not unusual or something that anyone should be ashamed of. The issue is that it was allowed to persist in such a state for so many years, not that the original budget predictably fell short in some areas.

 

[HMF]

It was part of a larger park. Having an anemic land at launch is not unusual or something that anyone should be ashamed of. The issue is that it was allowed to persist in such a state for so many years, not that the original budget predictably fell short in some areas.

Seeing as how I am not crazy about the replacement I will concede that. A better DinoLand would be far preferable to what they are actually doing and of course Beastly Kingdom would be preferable to Avatar.

 

[MisterPenguin]

I see the whole article as a thinly disguised promotional piece.

A right-leaning paper giving free promotion to a left-leaning company?

Or is your conspiracy theory that the WSJ is a pixie duster based on the fact that the article didn't make Disney look as bad as you would have wanted it to?

 

[Comped]

I have no idea what you are talking about. If you want work in Florida there’s far more secure work going on at WDW. If you want to participate in a well budgeted foreign park, there’s far more opportunity with Disney. The UK is more desirable location for an anglophone subset, but that’s pulling from Paris resources. Universal may have a half dozen unique projects on the go, Disney has like 30+. Not even including a very clearly bubbling gate for China.

We emphatically know the Florida UC workforce has shrunk in the last few years and WDI has hired many of them. Which isn’t a criticism of UC, that’s naturally what happens when you finish a major gate. UC likely reached their nadir though, people started jumping ship in 2023 as Epic wound down and WDI resumed a hiring spree.

I'm not sure I agree with you...

1. Universal has multiple Epic expansions somewhere between concept and development. Full bore replacements are likely in the medium term for multiple lands across its two existing parks as well (3? 4? Could be more.). Disney has... 1 land retheme at AK (with 1 new ride system I'll give you that), and 3 new lands between DHS and MK. Plus whatever we call Animation Courtyard.
2. UK and Paris are two different markets when it comes to theme park stuff, including what companies they pull from locally. Brexit only made it worse. (Not even talking about how it's generally easier for an American to get a work visa in the UK versus Europe, especially France.)
3. Universal, to my count, probably has as many as Disney does in development at this point, if we include the regional projects and things that might be longer term.
4. You could say the same about Beijing to be fair.

 

[socaljoeyb]

Regarding the new China gate, are we talking about a 2nd gate for Shanghai or a new DL in another city?

 

[James Alucobond]

Regarding the new China gate, are we talking about a 2nd gate for Shanghai or a new DL in another city?

Shanghai.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Maybe, but do we really think Dino-Rama is the pinnacle of Joe Rohde's career?

That like Paradise Pier in DCA really should have probably killed off during the development phase.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom was given a small budget to quickly add some capacity. What exactly do you think he Joe should have done? Not “sell out” and resign? So that it and other projects could be handed over to others who may not deliver as well as he typically did? Even as a creative business, there has always been budgets, timelines and straight up project assignments.

 

[monothingie]

Universal cleared house even more than Disney and has been seeing a lot of churn.

Universal also just finished a major expansion that required beefing up the ranks of their creatives. It only is natural that there is a thinning of the herd now that the work is done.

 

[BrianLo]

I'm not sure I agree with you...

1. Universal has multiple Epic expansions somewhere between concept and development. Full bore replacements are likely in the medium term for multiple lands across its two existing parks as well (3? 4? Could be more.). Disney has... 1 land retheme at AK (with 1 new ride system I'll give you that), and 3 new lands between DHS and MK. Plus whatever we call Animation Courtyard.

The key word is secure. When these discussions are approached we often asked to compare what Disney is currently doing versus what Universal could be doing. Many of these things postulated I’ve been hearing about for 13/14 years or so. I don’t doubt some will occur, but not all are happening right now. Not even most I’d imagine.

Though as @lazyboy97o pointed out to me a significant Florida workforce may be on UK. Universal is rotating out of a major Florida project cycle contained in Epic to a more minor one. Disney has already rotated from a workforce blowout to an increased project pipeline. That’s where some of the job security comes from.

Universal, to my count, probably has as many as Disney does in development at this point, if we include the regional projects and things that might be longer term.

1. You could say the same about Beijing to be fair.

There’s also DCL to be fair, which are secured and ordered. And I’ll 100 percent give you credence that I floated Shanghai, when that by no means is a surety. Though I have mounting reason to believe it is underway, much as I most certainly would not say Universal is up to nothing.

Beijing seems to be further down the road, there’s a lot of financial metrics that still need to be checked off for a resort that is significantly younger and did have to launch into the pandemic, certainly not its fault.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Universal also just finished a major expansion that required beefing up the ranks of their creatives. It only is natural that there is a thinning of the herd now that the work is done.

The purge happened in the middle of the project during the pandemic.

 

[monothingie]

The purge happened in the middle of the project during the pandemic.

If you're referring to the early retirement of CCO Thierry Coup and Mike Hightower in 2022 it was hardly a purge.

 

[lazyboy97o]

If you're referring to the early retirement of CCO Thierry Coup and Mike Hightower in 2022 it was hardly a purge.

No duh, because that’s not what I was talking about.

 

[donaldtoo]

Without a doubt. Picture from the Zootopia Better Zoogether team. Good looking bunch, but quite young.
View attachment 902262

With the possible exception of the special effects guy (did he design new effects or use existing tech…?!), where are the actual Imagineers in that picture…people like the Bob Gurr’s, Yale Gracey’s, Mary Blair’s etc….?!
I realize it was a theater show retrofit, that Mel probably did a bang-up job tracking the project scope, Ryan nailed it with onsite team support needs, etc.
But what about the folks that designed, fabricated and programmed the new animatronic, scripted and animated the new film, coordinated/designed the lighting, and all the rest…?!
Makes for a cute picture and let them have their moment, I guess, but definitely doesn’t tell the whole story.

 

[lazyboy97o]

With the possible exception of the special effects guy (did he design new effects or use existing tech…?!), where are the actual Imagineers in that picture…people like the Bob Gurr’s, Yale Gracey’s, Mary Blair’s etc….?!
I realize it was a theater show retrofit, that Mel probably did a bang-up job tracking the project scope, Ryan nailed it with onsite team support needs, etc.
But what about the folks that designed, fabricated and programmed the new animatronic, scripted and animated the new film, coordinated/designed the lighting, and all the rest…?!
Makes for a cute picture and let them have their moment, I guess, but definitely doesn’t tell the whole story.

The whole purpose of such photos is to recognize the team, not credit a single creative lead.

 

[donaldtoo]

The whole purpose of such photos is to recognize the team, not credit a single creative lead.

I get that, and I never said anything whatsoever about crediting a single creative lead. How did you get that from my post…?! I said there was more to the story.
My point was simply that there were way more, actual, Imagineers (“folks”, “creatives”) involved in the project (an integral part of the team) that were not included in that photo.
Again, it’s great that Enrique kept Clawhauser production on schedule, but what about the folks that actually designed, fabricated and programmed the Clawhauser AA…?!

 

[James Alucobond]

I get that, and I never said anything whatsoever about crediting a single creative lead. How did you get that from my post…?! I said there was more to the story.
My point was simply that there were way more, actual, Imagineers (“folks”, “creatives”) involved in the project (an integral part of the team) that were not included in that photo.
Again, it’s great that Enrique kept Clawhauser production on schedule, but what about the folks that actually designed, fabricated and programmed the Clawhauser AA…?!

This was likely just a photo of the folks who were regularly on site or heavily involved toward the end of the project. Many that you mention likely worked far upstream of that.

 

[HMF]

If you're referring to the early retirement of CCO Thierry Coup and Mike Hightower in 2022 it was hardly a purge.

I am not a big Uni fan (At least not anymore.) but my understanding that Coup's obsession with using screens made Tom Fitzgerald look like an advocate for Animatronic technology.

 

[donaldtoo]

This was likely just a photo of the folks who were regularly on site or heavily involved toward the end of the project. Many that you mention likely worked far upstream of that.

I get that too, and I realize this is probably more of a team-building, public image thing, as well.
But, upstream or not, it sure would be nice to see some of those involved in the “blood and guts” of these projects.

As an aside…
I was in architecture for 43+ years, and the last firm I worked at for 30+ years, before I retired, was heavily into team-building. We had half-day Fridays and did everything from bowling to axe throwing as team-building events, and plenty of pics went up on our website.
Granted, we were a firm of only 34, including 4 partners, but all were included, from the office assistant to the partners…logistically, much easier…!!!!!

 

[lazyboy97o]

I get that, and I never said anything whatsoever about crediting a single creative lead. How did you get that from my post…?! I said there was more to the story.
My point was simply that there were way more, actual, Imagineers (“folks”, “creatives”) involved in the project (an integral part of the team) that were not included in that photo.
Again, it’s great that Enrique kept Clawhauser production on schedule, but what about the folks that actually designed, fabricated and programmed the Clawhauser AA…?!

Because you specifically called out individuals who largely functioned in a certain type of role and have twice now referred to the people in the photo as not “actual Imagineers”. Who actually designed and fabricated Clawhauser are quite possibly not Imagineers and employees of a company like Garner Holt Productions.

 

[Touchdown]

I am not a big Uni fan (At least not anymore.) but my understanding that Coup's obsession with using screens made Tom Fitzgerald look like an advocate for Animatronic technology.

The screenpocolapse ended nearly 10 years ago now. Hagrids, Velicocoaster, Bourne, everything at Epic has practical portions whenever possible. Screens are a supplement not the main focus of those attractions.