Lasseter throws his weight around

[erikthewise]

Very interesting article "Big John" over at www.jimhillmedia.com this morning. If you were wondering whether the Disney/Pixar "merger" would have any effect on park operations, you should take a look.

 

[CallaLily]

Well it does sound encouraging for us who would love more new and creative attractions in the parks.

 

[Waggy182]

Great, fantastic, and atta-boy, big J. Hopefully you can do your magic once again as you did with PIXAR.

 

[raidermatt]

Definitely an encouraging sign.

 

[mrsR123]

Hope springs eternal in the midwest.

Car number three may need a lasseter bobble head on the dash.

 

[Peter Pirate]

Props to Iger yet??? I didn't think so.

 

[Sarangel]

My DH talked to a guy from Pixar in the airport today & told him to tell John "stop buying off the shelf @$%$# and start having WDI Design rides." The guy he was talking to said that there had been some discussions about that in the Pixar halls...

For what it's worth.

Sarangel

 

[erikthewise]

There's been some speculation about what Steve Jobs might do as a member of the Disney Board. If this report about John Lasseter is accurate, Jobs might not do anything but sit there with a big grin on his face saying "John's my man!".

 

[Peter Pirate]

Sara, how logical would that be in this day and age do you think? Especially for high speed type rides? Could it possibly be, even remotely feasible for Disney to design, manufacture (oversee) and test a ride system in house? It seems the expense and EXPOSURE would be tremendous.

I'm not saying that this doesn't sound great from the imagination standpoint, but realistically?

Thoughts? Tell me why I'm wrong...I know you will.

 

[erikthewise]

Sara, how logical would that be in this day and age do you think? Especially for high speed type rides? Could it possibly be, even remotely feasible for Disney to design, manufacture (oversee) and test a ride system in house? It seems the expense and EXPOSURE would be tremendous.

I'm not saying that this doesn't sound great from the imagination standpoint, but realistically?

Thoughts? Tell me why I'm wrong...I know you will.

Well, who IS going to test it?

The manufacturer? WHERE? Do you expect them to build a huge testing facility where they build and test coasters that nobody pays for?

Some other theme park? If so, why should WDW be the leech that lives off what others pay to test ride systems? Shouldn't they have to pay for at least some of the testing?

Face it, if Disney wants unique rides, design and testing is part of the package. Hasn't it always been that way? So why is it unrealistic? They either pay to do it in house, or pay someone else to do it, with far less control over the outcome.

 

[Another Voice]

It seems the expense and EXPOSURE would be tremendous.

Well, Disney fired the company that designed and built the ride system for 'Mission: Space' (even refusing them access for saftey inspections). And Disney made so many modifications - without notice to the original manufactrer - on 'California Screamin' that they walked away from the coaster as well.

Seems Disney is more than happy to take the exposure.

 

[SnackyStacky]

Sara, how logical would that be in this day and age do you think? Especially for high speed type rides? Could it possibly be, even remotely feasible for Disney to design, manufacture (oversee) and test a ride system in house? It seems the expense and EXPOSURE would be tremendous.

I'm not saying that this doesn't sound great from the imagination standpoint, but realistically?

Thoughts? Tell me why I'm wrong...I know you will.

I'm just thinking out loud - but didn't WED research, design, test, and BUILD the world's first steel tubular coaster?

And didn't Walt finance his projects out of his own pocket?

I dunno - I'm not saying Iger should fork over his own personal money to do these kinds of things - but it DEFINITELY seems within the realm of possibility for a multi BILLION dollar coporation.

Again - just thinking out loud.

 

[Peter Pirate]

Thanks guys...It's true if the exposure has been totally theirs anyway...Then desinging and manufacturing (oversee) isn't that big of deal.

 

[DancingBear]

I think it's fine for Disney to look around at what others are developing technologically and think about how that technology could be used to tell a great story. That's not the same as buying a ride off the shelf.

I seem to recall a recent interview with Tony Baxter saying they were doing just that--and Baxter's the guy that Lasseter wanted to talk to.

 

[Sarangel]

Sara, how logical would that be in this day and age do you think? Especially for high speed type rides? Could it possibly be, even remotely feasible for Disney to design, manufacture (oversee) and test a ride system in house? It seems the expense and EXPOSURE would be tremendous.

I have one word for you: Soarin'.

Granted, it's not a high speed ride, but there isn't anything like it elsewhere (also granted, the queue could be better in CA, don't know about Epcot's version).

As has already been pointed out, Disney hasn't limited their exposure by buying off the shelf rides. I don't see how much worse it could be if they actually applied their imaginations to building them (talk about words destined to come back and haunt me).

The point is that they need to stop making rides that could be put on a semi and shipped to a local carnival without anyone noticing.

Sarangel

 

[Bork]

I'm just thinking out loud - but didn't WED research, design, test, and BUILD the world's first steel tubular coaster?

I believe WED did the designs, but Arrow Dynamics built many of the early rides for Disney including the Matterhorn and many of the Fantasyland dark ride systems. I believe they also built the Pirates and Small World boats, as well as the Doombuggies.

Having someone else build the ride systems isn't necessarily a bad thing, as long as they aren't taking some ready-made ride and plopping it down it a park. The problem recently has been that imagineering has been working backwards. They see some cool ride and they come up with a way to theme it. Walt started with the story that he wanted to tell and then came up with the ride to faciliate the telling of the story.

 

[DancingBear]

But Splash Mountain grew out of the desire for a specific ride system, a log flume ride. So greatness can start with the ride system (as long as storytelling is not compromised).

 

[YoHo]

My DH talked to a guy from Pixar in the airport today & told him to tell John "stop buying off the shelf @$%$# and start having WDI Design rides." The guy he was talking to said that there had been some discussions about that in the Pixar halls...

For what it's worth.

Sarangel

I've met your Husband. I hope he didn't scare the Pixar guy away.

 

[YoHo]

But Splash Mountain grew out of the desire for a specific ride system, a log flume ride. So greatness can start with the ride system (as long as storytelling is not compromised).

Not all of us think Splash is the second coming.

 

[jimmytammy]

Right on BIG JOHN!!!

This is the most excited I have been about anything Disney related since Roy and Stanley started ruffling feathers with SaveDisney.

Disney needed a kick in the seat and this might be the BIG one from BIG JOHN