How reputable is Jim Hill?

[minnie-apple-mouse]

My stance is that there are no "Disney insiders"...

Because the corporate structure is and has been controlled 99% by a single Individual since Easter 1994...
So even though they have hundreds of thousands of employees, there is no level of trust/certainty on any of them.

I don't follow this at all. Can you expand a bit?

Interesting, probably true.

I kinda hate to admit if one lone individual is responsible for Disney from 1994 to now (and what's slated through 2021) they did a fairly decent job IMO anyway.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Interesting, probably true.

I kinda hate to admit if one lone individual is responsible for Disney from 1994 to now (and what's slated through 2021) they did a fairly decent job IMO anyway.

I look at it as "two eras"

The 1984-1998 era (somewhat arbitrary...but if you look at what was in the works by 1994... It takes you to about 1998 give or take)

And the later era 99-present.

Now compare the two...

It's in that context that I always seem to rile up the pixie pounders...


But your point is taken...the structure had worked in many respects.

 

[minnie-apple-mouse]

I look at it as "two eras"

The 1984-1998 era (somewhat arbitrary...but if you look at what was in the works by 1994... It takes you to about 1998 give or take)

And the later era 99-present.

Now compare the two...

It's in that context that I always seem to rile up the pixie pounders...


But your point is taken...the structure had worked in many respects.

I assume there was a "pre 1994 "era.

Yea the jury is still out for what is currently being expanded Disney wide. Eventually what is being expanded will be judged I guess. 1994 (or 1999) to 2021 from one lone individual-will be interesting, barring economic collapse of course.

 

[RetroCOTfan]

But your point is taken...the structure had worked in many respects.

Yeah, it has worked out great for shareholders and for the company, if the goal is to become a conglomerated media empire (which clearly, that is the goal). From strictly a parks-fan perspective? Not so much.

There have been great things and not so great things done with the parks, but ultimately a rising tide raises all ships. The company is doing well, so the parks will do well. Would the parks be "better" if they were a completely separate company, like Tokyo is run? Maybe. But that's a moot point - it's not going to happen stateside. Sure, there are things that I would rather they do differently with the parks, but I'm not the only customer, and they're obviously attracting a huge number of people, so from a business standpoint it's hard to say they're doing things "wrong."

 

[mcjaco]

The problem is that many of the future projects he talks about never make it beyond the very early design or just discussion stages.

One could argue they're all fantasy, and thus no way to prove or disprove them. So you're back at square one.

Years ago, I went through Hill's rumor stories, created a list, and then went through which rumors he reported on came to fruition. Yes, I was young, and VERY bored. It's was less then 5%, as I recall. Way lower than I had anticipated (I figured 30% was a good number). Everything you hear - grain of salt. Unless it's a bus driver. Then it's totally happening.

 

[DanBoris]

I submit that there is no substance behind 99.99% of that access.

The decisions are made at the inner boardroom and anyone outside of it is not necessary/useful to the decision making process...because they are now made 100% based on corporate returns.

Wdw...65,000 employees and a ton of "titles" floating around... Has close to ZERO input into what is built/how they're operated. There is no "say" there.

So the chances of any real info eminating from Orlando is almost statistically nill.

You say "decisions are made at the inner boardroom", but any project that has reached the board room has probably had 100's of people working on it already which increases the chance of a leak.

 

[OKW Lover]

You say "decisions are made at the inner boardroom", but any project that has reached the board room has probably had 100's of people working on it already which increases the chance of a leak.

Exactly. I'm thinking that the more people involved in a project, the more likely a leak. Perhaps we are just arguing semantics here as to what constitutes an "insider".

 

[grayhouser]

I like Jim...

 

[SoarinSC]

The problem is that many of the future projects he talks about never make it beyond the very early design or just discussion stages.

This is when I enjoy Jim the most...hearing stories of what-might-have-been.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

You say "decisions are made at the inner boardroom", but any project that has reached the board room has probably had 100's of people working on it already which increases the chance of a leak.

Lots of things get "kicked around"...
Maybe it's just me - but I don't want to hear about it anymore...
It tends to get repackaged by fans and portrayed as "coming soon"...which gives the impression that it's a priority for the current junta.. And it is not

 

[SoarinSC]

Lots of things get "kicked around"...
Maybe it's just me - but I don't want to hear about it anymore...
It tends to get repackaged by fans and portrayed as "coming soon"...which gives the impression that it's a priority for the current junta.. And it is not

Never thought I'd read "junta" on this board. "Hittites" anyone?

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Never thought I'd read "junta" on this board. "Hittites" anyone?

Well...for once...bob is having much worse time of it than the rest of us...

I usually just get a sourpuss thinking about how they have relentlessly increased the prices on me...then move on

Bob has lost 11% of his stock price...which is the only thing he cares about (and his tanning appointments)...in 2 days...

Oh, poor rich guy

 

[waffles77]

This.

I had and have friends all over within Disney. Even they don't know what's going on, usually until a day before it happens. And a couple of them are high up in management within the parks.

At one point I had a contact that does web design for Disney say that they were in meetings about bringing Beastly Kingdom back into the fold, they were doing site design and everything.....then it all stopped.

Rumors are fun, but I take them all with a grain of salt. And that's from all sources.

You should make some friends with bus drivers. They seem to know everything. ;-)

In all honesty, this is not possible. The projects that they create/run have to have tons of departments/people involved. Iger doesn't say 'let's build a Star Wars ride' and then throws some pixie dust around and walllah, there it is. There are many doers in the process so some know.

Perhaps your friends are able to keep secrets and they just tell you they don't know what's going on.....

 

[mick1229]

Jim Hill is a blast... entertaining as Hell, love the Dish

 

[mcjaco]

You should make some friends with bus drivers. They seem to know everything. ;-)

In all honesty, this is not possible. The projects that they create/run have to have tons of departments/people involved. Iger doesn't say 'let's build a Star Wars ride' and then throws some pixie dust around and walllah, there it is. There are many doers in the process so some know.

Perhaps your friends are able to keep secrets and they just tell you they don't know what's going on.....

Oh it is possible. Trust me.

Sometimes reading the Permit thread on WDWMagic is the most insight they get into a project.

Scary.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Oh it is possible. Trust me.

Sometimes reading the Permit thread on WDWMagic is the most insight they get into a project.

Scary.

+1

There's a perception that Disney is a "team"...and from the guy painting the bench up through the CEO everybody works together on everything with "can do American spirit"...

That was 1954 in Anaheim.

It's just not that way. The structure is a twisted, convoluted hornets nest of redundancy, figureheads, and power "dead ends"

Look at Rasulo...who was the 2/3 "man" and just hung out for a year with less responsibility than Tom hanks character in big.

It's perhaps the most misguided "world class operation" in human history...honorable mention to the Vatican and the national football league.

I Speaking specifically of Orlando - to caveat - this freakish collection of four combat divisions worth of employees that honestly are the workers ants in "a bugs life"...as in show up everyday and do "your thing".

Perhaps when they are spending OLC's money it's different...maybe the old ways still work. Not their money... So the suit doesn't have to count nickels for dividend projections purposes...

But stateside...it just has gone horrible oligarchical...

I think imagineering - once the "can do" people who worked to try things - and became the true craftsman that gave the parks their "better than anyone else could even dream to be" reputation...is a beard now.

They spin ideas and do site "studies" and concept designs ad naseum...

Not to roll them out...to shield the accounting department with more dead ends that can be used...or more importantly NOT used at random.

Something coming...but we can never confirm it or deny it.

It's like a "brand officer" type arrangement...all the kids are happy when nothing has changed...

But the structural changes went up long ago...mostly during Eisner...
Now those sour olive trees are "bearing fruit" for the customers...

We are in a position where our park experiences are getting LESS sophisticated...particularly in Orlando...when the tech available on microchips alone could yield so much more...

Look at what they are or have built for 15 years...much of it horribly outdated - if amusing - gags.

RFID...not exactly amazing...junior steel coasters...simulators in circle vision...3d shows and omnishooters...

Listen... Its about the characters, we know, but you have to maintain the bar... Not lower it.

Strong case to be made that its lower now. Based on time and industry response.

It's gonna be an interesting week...for sure.

Lots of false expectations out there...it seems.

Get your popcorn and see if the suit has anything other than a scotch in his hand and a slap on the back for whoever is from Goldman Sachs in the room.

 

[coconutprincess]

When AvatarLand was announced... I was pregnant with my son (who is now 3.5) and still nothing.

Granted, I love my Disney, but I don't have high hopes for this week. I was just telling DH I think that people will be very dissapointed in what is revealed. By the time they finish with DHS (or whatever the new moniker for it will be). I'm hoping my kids won't already be off to college at that point

 

[OKW Lover]

When AvatarLand was announced... I was pregnant with my son (who is now 3.5) and still nothing.

Well, AvatarLand just takes a little longer than making a baby.

Seriously, AvatarLand is well under construction, although no opening day has yet been announced.

 

[rteetz]

When AvatarLand was announced... I was pregnant with my son (who is now 3.5) and still nothing.

Granted, I love my Disney, but I don't have high hopes for this week. I was just telling DH I think that people will be very dissapointed in what is revealed. By the time they finish with DHS (or whatever the new moniker for it will be). I'm hoping my kids won't already be off to college at that point

The biggest problem Disney has had with avatar is they announced it too early. When it was announced they had no design work or anything ready. They broke ground in January 2014 with a 2017 opening that's three years.

 

[PuppyJonathan]

Lately he has reported that Star Wars is back on the drawing board and avatar is behind schedule both are untrue but actually were true about a year or so ago just not now.

I swear I'm sick of hearing rumors on how Avatar Land is delayed, EVERY MONTH