How to fix the parks: Disney/Pixar employees speak out

[monetnj]

I was over at Wil Wheaton's blog site today (yes, Ensign Wesley Crusher) and he makes mention of a new blog site created by Pixar and Disney employees, called "Re-imagineering," on how to fix some problems with the parks. It makes for some fascinating reading. Nice insider perspective stuff. Since I can't post URLs yet, I place it in the my signature below. It is the first link. The second link is for Wil Wheaton's blog. You might check that out too as it is very interesting as well. One of my "must read" sites every day.

 

[SuperGurl]

Thanks for the links. I'm checking them out now.

 

[monetnj]

Who knew there was so much going on behind the scenes at imagineering? I really hope that Steve Jobs and co. can get things going in the right direction. Taking down the wizards hat from MGM would be a nice start.

The parks are still magical to me, but the new attractions are a bit short on personality. Lots of thrill and not much whimsy. "Plus" versions of rides you can find at thrill parks like Universal. That's fine, but I would like to see more things like the meet Crush attraction at Living Seas in Epcot. Crush put a smile on my entire family's face on our trip a couple of weeks ago in a way that I had forgotten Disney knew how to do. Best of all, I could share it with my 3.5 yr old son.

Giving more money to park maintenance would be another good step. Maybe my memory of past visits from my childhood are fuzzy, but I used to remember the Magic Kingdom as being ultra-clean and new looking. Things worked all the time too. Maybe that was because things actually WERE newer, but whenever I ride the TTA (it will always be the People Mover in my heart!), I always get the general impression of a down-at-the-heels ride at a Six Flags. Doesn't help that it gives a good view of the patch jobs and junk on some of the roofs of the Tomorrland buildings.

 

[wdwoldtimer]

Thanks for that excellent link! I have to say I agree with everything I've read so far.

 

[monetnj]

Mods, why was this thread moved to the community board? It concerns the different attractions at Disney.

 

[bicker]

Looks like just another run-of-the-mill Bash Disney site, to me.

 

[monetnj]

Looks like just another run-of-the-mill Bash Disney site, to me.

I don't think so. This one is run by Disney/Pixar employees and is not meant to bash Disney so much as create a wishlist of things they would like to see changed when the new management comes in. These folks clearly have a love of the parks and want them returned to what they perceive to be their former glory.

 

[bicker]

How much it is run by Disney/Pixar employees is not clear to me. There is only one contributor I could find who even claims to be an employee of either company, and in that case it is Pixar, so it isn't surprising, at this time, for that participation to be taking place, given that he's still talking about some other company -- other than his own. While Pixar employees may carry a bit of immunity once Pixar is acquired by Disney, it isn't clear how much immunity it will be, and it's still Disney bashing, even if committed by a story artist.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

How much it is run by Disney/Pixar employees is not clear to me. There is only one contributor I could find who even claims to be an employee of either company, and in that case it is Pixar, so it isn't surprising, at this time, for that participation to be taking place, given that he's still talking about some other company -- other than his own. While Pixar employees may carry a bit of immunity once Pixar is acquired by Disney, it isn't clear how much immunity it will be, and it's still Disney bashing, even if committed by a story artist.

I agree. This would not be a public site if it was TRULY a Disney/Pixar employee "re-imagineering" site.

 

[monetnj]

I agree. This would not be a public site if it was TRULY a Disney/Pixar employee "re-imagineering" site.

Looks like folks haven't looked at all the comments. Self-claimed Disney employees (and of course, I can't prove that they ARE Disney employees) do indeed chime in.

I don't see how the site being public means anything. Have you never been to stupidguesttricks dot com? It is quite public and full of negative (and positive) experiences of Disney CMs and their dealings with the public.

Blog sites of this nature where employees criticize the companies they work for are not unheard of, especially since they can post anonymously. Yes, they do represent a bit of spleen venting meaning nothing, but this is more than just bashing for the sake of bashing. This is criticism by folks, presumably, in a position to help do something about it.

Personally, I love Disney. So much so I that I just bought into DVC.

 

[bicker]

This is criticism by folks, presumably, in a position to help do something about it.

And that claim is what roped you in. That's fine. If you get a charge out of reading that, then don't worry about whether the claim is accurate or even relevant.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Looks like a good thread also for the Rumors board.

 

[bicker]

Definitely... that's where this sort of thing belongs.

 

[monetnj]

And that claim is what roped you in. That's fine. If you get a charge out of reading that, then don't worry about whether the claim is accurate or even relevant.

Well, that is a pretty bold statement. I thought folks here might be interested in what is going on behind the scenes as the Disney and Pixar folks get set to merge. Besides my love for Disney, I am a big Apple person and have seen what Steve Jobs does when he gets involved with a company. I think it is fair to say, Disney is in for some changes.

As for the rest, I would ask that you show me that the site isn't what it says it is. Can you show me the inaccuracies of certain posts? Maybe the separation of R & D as the posters on the site says exists within Imagineering is not true? Are the pictures of the queue at ToT at DCA not the real thing and it does the ride itself have that horizontal push out into the "set" like the MGM ToT? I am not trying to be sarcastic or even asking for specific answers to the questions above. However, if you could point to specific things on the site that are plain wrong, it would be helpful.

 

[Sylvester McBean]

I don't see anything in the blog that is disney-bashing. I read it as people who care a good deal for the park and are frustrated by the changes. destroying those Mary Blair murals is a perfect example.

 

[bicker]

I thought folks here might be interested in what is going on behind the scenes as the Disney and Pixar folks get set to merge.

I agree. What I don't agree with is the assertion that that blog is anything close to an accurate depiction of what typical Disney and Pixar employees think. There are only a handful of people who post to the site: Disney and Pixar has tens of thousands of employees.

 

[monetnj]

I agree. What I don't agree with is the assertion that that blog is anything close to an accurate depiction of what typical Disney and Pixar employees think. There are only a handful of people who post to the site: Disney and Pixar has tens of thousands of employees.

Sure, but I don't think anybody is trying to say these posts are the thoughts of the typical Disney/Pixar employee. I'm not saying that and I don't think the site states this either. More like points to ponder by those on the inside. I would rather this thread dealt with the individual comments made on the site and whether or not anybody thought they were valid criticisms or full of bunk.

For instance, I love the Jules Verne copper/brass retro-future look of tomorrowland that the re-imagineering site seems to hate. Haven't been to Disneyland since the redesign, and maybe it could have been integrated better into the existing structures, but it would seem to be a more classic look that will stand the test of time longer. Any vision of the future is doomed to look dated very quickly. The Jules Verne thing seems to acknowledge that and put a clever spin on it. Again IMHO.

 

[bicker]

Sure, but I don't think anybody is trying to say these posts are the thoughts of the typical Disney/Pixar employee. I'm not saying that and I don't think the site states this either. More like points to ponder by those on the inside.

Jim Hill's website is good for that. He's not an insider, but he talks to insiders, and his views, though clearly biased negative, are more likely to at least be a more representative sample of the negative views out there.

For instance, I love the Jules Verne copper/brass retro-future look of tomorrowland that the re-imagineering site seems to hate.

I saw this, in reality, in Paris. It was really wonderful, and I definitely prefer it to the decor(s) we've had in Orlando.

Haven't been to Disneyland since the redesign, and maybe it could have been integrated better into the existing structures, but it would seem to be a more classic look that will stand the test of time longer.

I haven't been back to Anaheim since the redress, but just based on Paris, I'm not sure it's a matter of "standing the test of time": IMHO, it is an utterly dated look, but that's what it is supposed to be -- it is a depiction of what mid-19th Century people thought the late-20th Century was supposed to look like. It is an unescapeable fact that the present-day image of what the future is supposed to look like will always be changing, so, as you said:

Any vision of the future is doomed to look dated very quickly.