Pressler Part 2

[tiggerstheman1]

I loved this line.....

But the essence of the idea and the essence of the craftsmen who are doing the work for us like our great agers and our great painters and our incredible folks who do our rock sculpting and the folks who are doing our media and theme park productions, those are core elements to Imagineering

So Imagineering isn't building new rides - it's how you paint them, and promote them. Oh, now I get it. Stupid me, I've been thinking that Imagineering meant a blend of Imagination and Engineering, instead it's really ImagiPainting.

 

[larworth]

Not near as much insight in the second installment.

One point that I did find worth analyzing was this comment

I think that what is true is we have now come off the single biggest growth period in the history of the parks and resorts for the Walt Disney Company. We’re coming off of Animal Kingdom, we’re coming off of Disney’s California Adventure, we’re coming off of Tokyo DisneySea. All of this created an enormous amount of work for which we had to staff up.... So we have to be careful not to mix-up what is really the true size of WDI with a change in philosophy or approach to what we are doing.

OK, any chance that we are over-reacting to the layoffs at WDI and that they really are just scaling back to a level that is more typical of what they have averaged in size in the past?

My feeling is that they are cutting well beyond this level, to a level that is more in keeping with their current dimished interest in investing in the parks. Anyone have any data to refute this spin?

 

[YoHo]

I'm sure that Presslar's comments are part of it, but I'm also sure they don't paint the whole picture.

Larworth, I agree, my gut says they are turning away from the parks. That's going to put Presslar in an interesting position. In defending his own job and his place in the Disney Court, he may need to start doing things we actually like for a change.

 

[Captain Crook]

larworth, that was the comment that most struck me in part two, as well, although I differ with your view a little Yoho. Coming off that huge growth had (has) to be painful to some (we Disney nuts), after all we liked the bang-bang sound of new attractions, shows & even Parks all the time. But realistically they do have to drop back and look at the big picture again (which includes buyoutts, sellouts and all of the other components). I agree that this "drop back" appears extreme but who's to say how it will look in three years (I think Pressler said that). It is also possible that the Disney we know and love won't survive the current "state of affairs" but I, for one, don't subscribe to that theory.

We here on the DIS are great at micro-analyzing the minute details forgetting that the present is very fleeting. We say "who cares about 4-5 years from now," we want what we want! But you know, in four or five years when BK is under construction, when DCA has TOT & Peter Pirates Super Scary Dark Ride and things are humming again, we'll forget this momentary blip on the screen and be discussiong the new "threats to everything Disney."

Paul said the right things in this interview, some made me happy some made me worry, most of it was what I'd expect. For others, I'm sure varying degrees of optimisim all the way to utter despair was seen. But all in all I think it's a good sign that he talked to Doobie (& I think Doobie did a great job).

It seems obvious to me that DCA & AK will be the main points of Park concern for the immediate future and that's good, although I think we all knew that to be the case...Lets just hope the DCA fixes are significant and that when they do start "building" at AK again, they learn from their DCA mistakes...

 

[HBK]

LP: Why didn’t DisneyQuest work out?

Pressler: It cost Money to run. That's sums it up best. It costs money.

Pressler (when speaking about the cruise lines):Our cruise ship is a big success and I think that success is attributed to a lot of things. One, it is Disney. The quality of Disney on this ship ... have you been on the ship?

LP: No, I haven’t.

Pressler: FANTASTIC! Let me get the spin...er I mean press release to read to you.

LP: There have been lot of rumors about things going on at Walt Disney Imagineering. That there’s a shift in Imagineering, more things are going to be outsourced. Is there a shift going on with the role of Walt Disney Imagineering?

Pressler: Yeah there's been some changes....they're all gone. Replaced 'em with a Six Flags Catalog.

LP: What do you think of the Internet and fan sites and unofficial sites?

Pressler: Hate 'em. And could you try to tell that crazed guy from Chicago that we don't do BBQs? Everyone on the net thinks I'm the Devil....just cause I can squeeze a nickle and get 6 pennies! I mean come on....

LP: On a more personal note, as you know, you have been vilified on the Internet for years - probably more than any other Disney figure. How do you handle that?

Pressler: You know what? I can only look at it and say I must be doing my job (laughs)

Pressler: Almost fooled ya! I am the devil! Don't you know I'm the one wearing the Jafar Rubberhead in the parks [smiling]

tonight we’re going to take the Skyway buckets down and we’ll open tomorrow and hopefully no one will notice." And I was like "ok, whatever you tell me, I don’t know." (laughs)

No kidding....Once again, it's nice to see somethings don't change....

LP; What are you most proud of in your time with the theme parks?

Pressler: You mean the ATMs?

We have changed our Cast policies - the way we treat our Cast today is significantly better than it ever has been before. I'm proud of that in particular.

Pressler : We even let em wash their own underwear! Can you believe that?

And, of course, I am proud of Disney’s California Adventure

Oh yeah, make sure you remind Michael of that when he asks you if you've ever been to broadway.

LP: Does anything stand out in your mind as a disappointment?

Pressler: Yeah...the fact I couldn't get Zamperla to take a double coupon on all of those spinners we bought....

 

[Another Voice]

The definition of a “suit” in Hollywood is an untalented business executive who finds himself in charge of a creative enterprise. They blame economics for artistic failings and they blame the audience’s shortcomings for business failures. All that I read in the last two days was someone talking about how they couldn’t afford to put on a good show and how my expectations were way too high.

The same website that’s running Mr. Pressler’s “interview” is also running a photo essay on the newly opened monorail line and visible parts of the soon to open DisneySea in Tokyo. Simply compare what the late WDI was able to create when they did not have the “assistance” of Mr. Pressler with that soulless wreck that’s burning in Disneyland’s parking lot for which Mr. Pressler delights in taking credit.

Actually thinking about it, I guess that Mr. Pressler needs to be economical these days. Since he does not wish to offer an experience that I will pay $43 dollars for, he will have to settle for the 7% royalties he will collect from whatever I choose to spend in Tokyo later this year. Sure, traveling to the other side of the Pacific will be much more expensive than a twenty minute drive on the Santa Ana Freeway, but it’s a price I’m willing to spend to have my expectations exceeded. A fact about show business that Mr. Pressler does not understand – and never will.


And weren’t we told four years ago that if we were patient and waited three years we’d finally see Beastly Kingdom? Funny, but I think now I’m being told to lower my expectations once again.

 

[Channel1tv]

The gift that keeps on givin...a Pressler Interview....

My Soda pop is coming out my noise!!!!!!
That has to be the funniest thing I have read in a lonnnng time.....
Amen!

Thanks for the ripping on a bad nerve to lighten things up.

 

[HBK]

Nothing like a interview with a truely clueless exec to lighten things up.....he's like fredo from the god father....