Zach Riddley promoted to Global Creative Strategy Executive

lazyboy97o

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
osian said:
https://grimshaw.global/projects/education/university-of-bangor-arts-and-innovation-centre/

OMG, they did the Bangor University Pontio building. This...is actually where I work. Well, across the street and sometimes in that "classic" building on the hill behind. Well, I would do if I wasn't now working from home. But I do work for the university.
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Disney and Universal tend to hire mid- to large firms that have done a lot of work. The company that does the Theme Index, AECOM, was also the architect for Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Hollywood. They also used to run Janet Airlines, the shuttle between Las Vegas and Area 51.
 
bpiper

bpiper

Well-Known Member
Why am I getting deja vu. This seems like a tactic that a company I used to work for years ago would do.

When they wanted to get rid of someone without paying severance, they would create an obscure meaningless title/job and put them into it. Usually it would be a staff position to a director. They would be given little work or meaningless work that was never correct. It wouldn't take them very long before they figured it out (boredom or frustration) and were looking for a job. 2-3 months max. Whenever we heard about someone being put on staff to a director, we know they got the kiss of death. Directors had no direct staff, only managers and an admin.
 
JoeCamel

JoeCamel

Well-Known Member
Oh Zach I'm not sure that should be there.....

" I serve as the single accountable WDI leader for the EPCOT project, including master planning, story and concept, detailed design, and delivery/construction elements."
 
Bocabear

Bocabear

Well-Known Member
JoeCamel said:
Oh Zach I'm not sure that should be there.....

" I serve as the single accountable WDI leader for the EPCOT project, including master planning, story and concept, detailed design, and delivery/construction elements."
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and why is he in a stormtrooper uniform? lol
 
Bocabear

Bocabear

Well-Known Member
EPCOT-O.G. said:
If this is what a real love for the park looks like, then I’d hate to see what happens to it in the hands of someone ambivalent
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I don't doubt his passion for work, but the approach with how to fix EPCOT seemed to be coming from someone that disliked the park and did not quite get what it was and how it got there...
It needed to be fixed...everyone can admit that, but the approach was more like destroy the framework and start again...I think the actual framework was good...the content needs to be refreshed.
 
Tha Realest

Tha Realest

Well-Known Member
Bocabear said:
I don't doubt his passion for work, but the approach with how to fix EPCOT seemed to be coming from someone that disliked the park and did not quite get what it was and how it got there...
It needed to be fixed...everyone can admit that, but the approach was more like destroy the framework and start again...I think the actual framework was good...the content needs to be refreshed.
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And they literally destroyed the framework and are rebuilding said framework!
 
C

celluloid

Well-Known Member
Bocabear said:
I don't doubt his passion for work, but the approach with how to fix EPCOT seemed to be coming from someone that disliked the park and did not quite get what it was and how it got there...
It needed to be fixed...everyone can admit that, but the approach was more like destroy the framework and start again...I think the actual framework was good...the content needs to be refreshed.
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This is a good point. The fix was not a fix, and all it did was rush projects rather than fix the real issue, which was not the park itself, but the neglect.

After Mission Space/Soarin' nothing major came from the ground up. From 2005 to 2019 things only died or became even more aged.

I can honestly say from that near 15 year span the only good thing to happen was Awesome Planet, and that is only a side exhibit and not enough to move any needles.

Now we have enough spent for over half of an entire new theme park(with many things unique planned cut) and the needle, according to reports is not moving needles or pleasing people for the amount spent either.
 
HauntedPirate

HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
celluloid said:
This is a good point. The fix was not a fix, and all it did was rush projects rather than fix the real issue, which was not the park itself, but the neglect.

After Mission Space/Soarin' nothing major came from the ground up. From 2005 to 2019 things only died or became even more aged.

I can honestly say from that near 15 year span the only good thing to happen was Awesome Planet, and that is only a side exhibit and not enough to move any needles.

Now we have enough spent for over half of an entire new theme park(with many things unique planned cut) and the needle, according to reports is not moving needles or pleasing people for the amount spent either.
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And Soarin' was the only net new addition between WoL and Rat.
 
Bocabear

Bocabear

Well-Known Member
the revitalization of EPCOT should have begun with massive attraction expansion first...then circle back and add a new festival center and very last a splash pad...not cancel attractions to add trees and then a splash pad, then whoops we forgot to actually build any attractions.
The catch-up game is not one Disney should have ever played, but years/decades of neglect caused this...
 
aladdin2007

aladdin2007

Well-Known Member
EPCOT-O.G. said:
If this is what a real love for the park looks like, then I’d hate to see what happens to it in the hands of someone ambivalent
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This! And its a sad park right now, there were multiple things down today, and or the dumb app wasn't working, they are letting things go, no entertainment, merch is in the worst state I've ever seen it, bathrooms deplorable, and wont even start on the morale of cast. I heard multiple complaints from guests about how so much was closed.
I don't even feel like I am in Epcot till I get to world showcase. They have destroyed all identity with this park. Its a mish mash of left overs with no good future direction. He deserve no accolades I'm sorry nor does current management.
 
Bocabear

Bocabear

Well-Known Member
osian said:
Well, the entrance plaza revamp was done right...
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Hard to applaud them just going back to the design they ruined by neglect and bad ideas though...I mean I am very pleased to see it back in it's original form...If only they had done that to the central hub...There was a complete show building waiting for an attraction, and the freshening up of the original architecture like they did on Communicore East would have looked great. then they could have just added on the stage and revitalized the landscaping in the center adding trees and whatnot without all of the destruction and rebuilding cost.
Moana's Enchanted SplashPad could have been built in space between the Land and Seas... which makes sense thematically... I would much rather be looking at an all new real attraction right now in the central hub along with the new urban park setting instead of just urban park. SURELY they knew more about projected costs before demolition began... you would think...
 
EPCOTCenterLover

EPCOTCenterLover

Well-Known Member
My bet is Zach got the project but had little control of the attraction content or placement. Perhaps he influenced the finishes of things like the cafe.
 
C

celluloid

Well-Known Member
HauntedPirate said:
And Soarin' was the only net new addition between WoL and Rat.
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Yep. The rate of EPCOT turning into something it was never meant to be and sparse just increased and increased. Because between that drought we lost attractions to subpar rethemes, equal moves that were never updated, and in some cases just complete shuttering with noting replacing them.

Since WOL closed a pavilion of various attractions, and Imagination has no upstairs, and shows things you can watch from home in its 3D theater, it is hard to even think of RAT as a net gain for the attraction number.

Also, just a reminder that Soarin, while a bigger ticket, did have to take an attraction space to create it.
 

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