Why can Disney not get a decent IT department?

[JennaDeeDooDah]

Their website always seems to crash. This morning, I was trying to make reservations and for over 20 minutes, I'd select the time and then get that Lady and the Tramp picture that says "Sorry for the 'paws'" and says that they are having technical difficulties. You are always having technical difficulties! If you cannot find a server that can support all of the traffic, figure out a way to lessen the traffic. And, maybe have enough people at the call center to help. Being told that the wait for a representative is going to be more than 60 minutes doesn't do a lot to help my mood that was already pretty foul due to your website not working.
/rant

 

[rwdavis2]

They don't pay very well. If Imagineer salaries are an indication then they underpay by about 15-30%. A friend where I work was offered an Imagineering position just as he accepted a job here. He has a masters in robotics and a PhD in electrical engineering. The salary offer from Disney was the same as it was here. Maryland is less expensive to live than Los Angeles. The decision was that simple.

If you go to the Disney career site they always have dozens of open IT positions. Been that way for years. I would also assume that outsourcing jobs overseas does not help either.

I could go into deeper reasons but that would just get down into the weeds of software development. Their web site has been lousy since they stood it up and never gotten much, if any, better.

 

[walker0829]

Probably because some bean counter thought that outsourcing parts or all of the IT department was cheaper on paper and led to all kinds of increased efficiency. In my experience, those two things don't go together in reality(when it comes to outsourcing IT functions).

 

[rwdavis2]

Probably because some bean counter thought that outsourcing parts or all of the IT department was cheaper on paper and led to all kinds of increased efficiency. In my experience, those two things don't go together in reality(when it comes to outsourcing IT functions).

I would not be surprised if they are still using "man month" type of estimates. Where they get 2 overseas IT workers at half the normal salary and assume the work will be done in half the time since they have 2 people working on it.

 

[mom2rtk]

Why can't they get a decent IT department?

1) They don't want to ($$$$)

2) They don't need to (so far people put up with it and book anyway).

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I would blame the outsourcing except that this has been going on for YEARS AND YEARS! They have NEVER had a good shop under any model!

Worst IT shop in the hospitality industry by far (and there are some other horrid options LOL!)

But until the stupidity drives you and your $$$ away they see no need to actually improve. Cheap works for them

 

[MariMama]

Cheap works for them

Truer words have never been spoken. That idea applies to almost everything Disney the last few years.

 

[tlmadden73]

I work in IT for a big company.
IT is always seen as just a "cost" and not a "money maker", so there simply is not enough resources ever given to it.

Things like their website are nice modern-day features that make things convenient for their guests or potential guests, but in-the-end they don't make them money. People were going to WDW before the internet and before My Disney Experience and lots go today without every using their website.

 

[mom2rtk]

I work in IT for a big company.
IT is always seen as just a "cost" and not a "money maker", so there simply is not enough resources ever given to it.

Things like their website are nice modern-day features that make things convenient for their guests or potential guests, but in-the-end they don't make them money. People were going to WDW before the internet and before My Disney Experience and lots go today without every using their website.

Don't a lot of people pay for their trips on the website?

 

[rwdavis2]

Don't a lot of people pay for their trips on the website?

Yes, but people will go regardless of how bad the web site is. As I mentioned above, their web site has NEVER been very good.

 

[mom2rtk]

Yes, but people will go regardless of how bad the web site is. As I mentioned above, their web site has NEVER been very good.

Oh I agree with that. But saying it's not a priority because it's not a money maker does not seem quite accurate.

 

[CarolynU]

Pay peanuts and you get monkeys. Simples!

 

[stinkpickle]

Why can't they get a decent IT department?

1) They don't want to ($$$$)

2) They don't need to (so far people put up with it and book anyway).

This. ^^^

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

For me, why Disney doesn't invest in IT is up there with mysteries like Stonehenge and the Easter Island Statues...

 

[wilkeliza]

I work for an IT company and we don't even have great IT but are a sought after company in our specific field. I've come to live with the fact that as we have become more dependent on technology the more complex it gets and thus the more likely it is to break down.

Also Disney really needs to invest in more bandwidth. I think they still continue to underestimate how many users are in the system at any given time. Of course they would like to track that by having us all log on to our MDE so it is easier but even with IP address they should be able to tell how many people are trying to get into the system.

 

[rwdavis2]

Oh I agree with that. But saying it's not a priority because it's not a money maker does not seem quite accurate.

True, but I think they look at it as either have IT or tons more operators taking calls. No one pays for the IT directly like a party ticket. It's just built into the price of everything which is also true of building maintenance, electricians, etc. I assume they do as little as people will endure.