tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post7135123940669816467..comments2024-02-08T07:33:49.907-08:00Comments on Re-Imagineering: Boy, Do We Need Them Now.Mr Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12952506736745891323noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-48422471511549686432008-03-26T15:14:00.000-07:002008-03-26T15:14:00.000-07:00Just came across this blog. They are sorely misse...Just came across this blog. They are sorely missed. There is no comparison, unfortunately.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-21024548009989531942008-03-20T16:53:00.000-07:002008-03-20T16:53:00.000-07:00I believe that the second person from the left is ...I believe that the second person from the left is Ken O'Brien, not Ken O'Connor.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-28073641057680670362008-01-21T11:50:00.000-08:002008-01-21T11:50:00.000-08:00>Did everything at Disney get worked out so things...<I>>Did everything at Disney get worked out so things are now humming along like in the days of old?<</I><BR/><BR/>No fear of that...<BR/><BR/>www.miceage.com/allutz/al011508a.htmAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-30503375489695585022008-01-21T07:13:00.000-08:002008-01-21T07:13:00.000-08:00Where are you guys? Did everything at Disney get ...Where are you guys? Did everything at Disney get worked out so things are now humming along like in the days of old? It has been over a month!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-86173458361157254842008-01-19T18:06:00.000-08:002008-01-19T18:06:00.000-08:00The two preceding posts have put it beautifully: p...The two preceding posts have put it beautifully: park attractions should not be subjugated into promoting films and second-rate characters like "Stitch."<BR/><BR/>Attractions should be creative, unique, stand on their own and be sacrosanct, not shilling for films, and not all preambles to unavoidable souvenir-and-ride-photo shops.<BR/><BR/>In response to Justin, I don't think retaining a classical and successful ride without "modernizing," "character-re-vamping" or "synergyzing" it is "turning back." I think it is recognizing the integrity of a work which has proven its appeal, and refusing to cheapen and compromise it. Revering the untouched attractions like The Haunted Man is not turning back and creating new stand-alone attractions which do not reference films and existing characters is moving forward, not retreating.theatremanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04803823338652745012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-64755390614046132982008-01-19T17:41:00.000-08:002008-01-19T17:41:00.000-08:00There is one person not in the photo, that is need...There is one person not in the photo, that is needed more than anyone else today, Walt. Imagineering and the Disney company as a whole need that visionary leadership that was Walt Disney.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-38813242248407569022008-01-17T18:00:00.000-08:002008-01-17T18:00:00.000-08:00(to be read in COP Rex Allen dialect) "Blogging is...(to be read in COP Rex Allen dialect) <BR/><BR/>"Blogging is here and no doubt it will improve but there'll always be the good guys shootin'it out with the bad guys.<BR/><BR/>Well we've come along way since the turn of the century 8 years ago.. and it looks like we've regressed about as far as we can.. or does that sound like and echo from the past? When I read about the things those research people at the Studio are workin' on..I can be sure of one thing...<BR/><BR/>(sing) "There's a Great Big merchandised tomorrow.. with gift shops at the end of every ride..<BR/><BR/>There's a Great Big merchandised tomorrow, seems there's nowhere for a classic show to hide! <BR/><BR/>A Movie gets made, and thats the start, to ex-ploit the Ride that had a heart, and when it becomes a reality, its been retrofit with synergy!"<BR/><BR/>So there's a Great, Big Merchandised tomorrow, converting rides to movies every day! There's a Great, Big, Merchandised tomorrow, just.. a... Depp .a-way.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-60239561900153879802008-01-12T13:08:00.000-08:002008-01-12T13:08:00.000-08:00Start with the real problem...UnImagineers taking ...Start with the real problem...UnImagineers taking once what was timeless in the Themeparks and turning it into dated material/attractions OR creating attractions that are based on dated stories. <BR/>Examples in California:<BR/> <BR/>POTC adding a Depp figure and Barbossa.That is pirate blasphemy.<BR/><BR/>Adding Indiana Jones ride. Most kids today have no idea who Dr. Jones is. The ride itself is remarkable and a technological wonder, but would have still done well as a generic expedition, like the Haunted Mansion still remains(no stars yet).I'm still waiting for Disney to add the Animatronic Eddie Murphy inside the Haunted Mansion....Why not? Someone screwed with Pirates of the Caribbean already...<BR/><BR/>Finding Nemo...Once again taking a timeless attraction and putting an expiration date on it.<BR/><BR/>Painting Tomorrowland all drab gold, since only 2 attractions functioned in that "Toghettoland" waste that has been under developed for years. Maybe someone thought they could hide the deterioration by adding some "bling" to the area. I know that the area has started to appear cleaner since the space mountain refurb and the reinstatement of the subs, but come on, who's responsible for these things happening in the first place?<BR/>Tomorrowland used to be a wealth of information of what is to come in the future say 50 years out or so. Why isn't Tomorrowland promoting "Go Green" attractions and rides? The exploration of bio fuels as a possibility or water filtration systems could be interesting and fun if done right. Afterall teaching while entertaining was once what Tomorrowland was all about.<BR/><BR/>I also have some heartache over the closing of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, even though it wasn't pulling alot of fanfare. It's Main Street USA, and god forbid someone should learn something about the founding fathers of this Country...It pays great homage to a great President of the United States, and it explains the trials and tribulations in which molded this Country into what it is today(for better or for worse).<BR/>That is a staple that should remain unscathed during the parks butcherings of other attractions.<BR/><BR/>I won't touch too much on the wasted space in DCA, but I can guarantee Walt is rolling over in his grave over that mess! Level the whole thing and cut your losses. Start fresh and EXTEND Disneyland by adding a couple new themed lands in the examples of New Orleans Square or toontown...With all of that wasted water space in DCA lagoon, you could have made Nemo meets Little Mermaid land...Where kids could learn about sealife, fiction and nonfiction...<BR/><BR/>In Florida:<BR/><BR/>The removal of a flagship ride, Mr. Toads Wild Ride. That was a downright shame to remove a ride that helped build the foundation of Disney Parks.<BR/>The Enchanted Tiki Room. Gilbert Gotfried and the Miami Sound Machine!? Are you nucking futs? What a travesty that happened there...<BR/><BR/>I know there are some good hearted Imagineers "trapped" in the web of red tape at Disney, that have the talent to turn the parks back in the right direction. I've seen some of the changes starting at the merchandising level with Kevin, Jody, Robert, and Dave for examples...Some of the smallest things in the park make the biggest impressions, and I think thats where the magic still lies.<BR/>The park needs Frontierland to have cowboys, in order for it to be a frontierland, the park needs a tribute to the founding fathers of this Country to help understand Main Street USA, <BR/>The Park needs hope for the future in Tomorrowland, <BR/>And children still need their fantasies nurtured in Fantasyland.<BR/><BR/>-a Concerned patron of Disneyland RecessionAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-1318226668746451972007-12-28T23:16:00.000-08:002007-12-28T23:16:00.000-08:00I'm not saying that Imagineers are "whores". This ...I'm not saying that Imagineers are "whores". This is insulting and clearly not true. The point we're crassly exaggerating here is that the atmosphere at WDI since the "old masters" has become one of a "service" business with the operators and corporate as the "client". When you have that as the structure, then creative slaves to and solves for the short term needs of a business as the client sees it. So in order for the work to improve, the "clients" need to have a sustainable vision and challenge the creative staff to "push the envelope". Or the "client" must have the courage to allow the creatives to present that vision. When profit is the vision and show is by product, then the signals get mixed and bad things sometimes get built. The "old masters" had the honor of doing their best work for someone with a vision. At least they knew why they were there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-73410704174873191072007-12-28T15:41:00.000-08:002007-12-28T15:41:00.000-08:00Disney must want to "own" the future as a brand at...<I>Disney must want to "own" the future as a brand attribute as it did in the past.</I><BR/><BR/>Precisely.judihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15415067631504911897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-24104484111482793912007-12-28T13:15:00.000-08:002007-12-28T13:15:00.000-08:00"WDI is basically a whore house now."Eventually th..."WDI is basically a whore house now."<BR/><BR/>Eventually those places get "raided", but it's the "chief of police" being a regular that allows them to exist. IMHO, it's the CEO level kind of directive and futuristic mission from the top that will do the "trick". They'll be anyone that managements wants them to be by the hour. But management needs to have a direction to cull them.Disney must want to "own" the future as a brand attribute as it did in the past.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-28939790294189487262007-12-28T11:46:00.000-08:002007-12-28T11:46:00.000-08:00While we tend to focus primarily upon the show des...While we tend to focus primarily upon the show designers, there are a lot more people in Imagineering besides them. All the impact engineering and construction has often times gets overlooked. Projects never run perfectly smoothly, and many times a lot of the real credit has to go to innovations and ideas these normally "non-creative" people had. I think that one issue that has yet to really be discussed is how obsessive bureaucracy and policies have affected those trades, and how that has hampered real innovation for finished products.StrangeVoiceshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06461535206083562899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-37709232227628858122007-12-28T00:31:00.000-08:002007-12-28T00:31:00.000-08:00The danger is becoming part Heidi Fleiss!Too late....<I>The danger is becoming part Heidi Fleiss!</I><BR/><BR/>Too late. WDI is basically a whore house now. Not until some of more infamous prima donnas are gone, will we see a return to innovation and outside-the-box creative design.<BR/><BR/>Imagine <B>not</B> having to fight for quality. <BR/><BR/>Dare to dream...judihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15415067631504911897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-11148751233960533482007-12-25T12:33:00.000-08:002007-12-25T12:33:00.000-08:00To me, these guys are not Gods. I knew most of the...To me, these guys are not Gods. I knew most of them, and worked closely with some of them. They were talented for sure, but did their best work in a benevolent dictatorship apart from the corporate culture. They did not have to fight their boss for quality, they were asked to always make something more or better. They didn't live in fear for their jobs, rather in fear of not making things good enough. Just the opposite of today's culture. To a degree, Walt insulated them from the bean counters and he got the money to make the changes. I loved those guys but I wonder how effective they would be in today's malaise? I miss their talent and in many areas the expertise has been lost. But today's Imagineers have it much tougher. It's not enough to be creative or to draw. To fund a project and protect it's attributes, you have to be part politician, part accountant, part manager, and a few other things and hopefully there is room to be part innovator or artist. The danger is becoming part Heidi Fleiss!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-74974026650127647502007-12-14T08:23:00.000-08:002007-12-14T08:23:00.000-08:00I'm honestly surprised so many are jumping the gun...<I>I'm honestly surprised so many are jumping the gun on this.</I><BR/><BR/>I'm not. We've been conditioned for such responses for well over a decade. It's knee jerk at this point. We can't help ourselves.<BR/><BR/>And six weeks isn't a great deal of time to make wholesale changes in any event, when the soft openings end after the holidays. <BR/><BR/>The "descent into digital hell," as some have described it, is the infamous WDI budgeteers at work. Or the infamous project managers at work, who studied funding allocation and distribution under Baxter: blow the bulk of the budget in the beginning, beg for more towards the end, and blame others when it doesn't come through.<BR/><BR/>Some additional <I>show fluff</I> could be added around the monitors to "plus" the area. But that's basically all I'm expecting at this point. Whoop-dee-freakin-doo. Seems I won't have to ditch my traditional "SSE power nap" afterall.judihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15415067631504911897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-35538089480456580472007-12-13T20:12:00.000-08:002007-12-13T20:12:00.000-08:00For the ascent to get such good reviews and the de...For the ascent to get such good reviews and the decent to be, by all description, incomplete, we really need to reserve judgement on the Spaceship Earth refurb until it's actually finished. Isn't the whole point of a soft opening to work out any bugs in the system and see the Guest's reaction to the <I>finished</I> aspects of the ride? I'm honestly surprised so many are jumping the gun on this.Digital Jedihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02374739586203788564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-30064061565321066692007-12-10T22:18:00.000-08:002007-12-10T22:18:00.000-08:00With all the purported good things going around at...With all the purported good things going around at WDI, how did the horrible redo of Spaceship Earth come to pass? Or is the descent portion of the ride going to be completed in the next month? Because if this is finished product, it ranks up there with DCA in terms of WDI misfires.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05278136673644183290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-6530116192583644502007-12-09T20:38:00.000-08:002007-12-09T20:38:00.000-08:00*Let's* disband the current WDI as it has no incen...*Let's* disband the current WDI as it has no incentive to innovate and the folks left behind are dead wood.<BR/><BR/>This is the USA, after all, and market forces will deliver the best much better than Vaughn, Russell, Lasseter, Iger, et al could ever hope to.<BR/><BR/>xo<BR/>cjAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-82234291851662523252007-12-08T16:22:00.000-08:002007-12-08T16:22:00.000-08:00Huh, look at the what people are saying about Spac...Huh, look at the what people are saying about Spaceship Earth's soft openings. Looks like this is more and more true.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-57989270988516937782007-12-08T07:30:00.000-08:002007-12-08T07:30:00.000-08:00It seems to me that part of the problem isn't that...<I>It seems to me that part of the problem isn't that people don't learn from the past mistakes (and sucesses) of others, but that many creative people these days seem to want to leave their mark.</I><BR/><BR/>Maybe there should be a 50 year moratorium on adding names to the Main Street windows.<BR/><BR/>When ANY group of people is comprised of just one person trying to one-up the others, let alone all of the members in that mind-set, they project suffers because the goal of the project becomes career advancement as opposed to producing a great work.<BR/><BR/>They loose site of the real goal as they're focusing on 'How can I leverage this project to get the biggest career boast that i can?' as opposed to 'How can I make this a great project?'. As such it becomes all about them and not the project. <BR/><BR/>Just look at Paul Pressler cutting the DCA budget to shreads for bragging rights and oh look - we're spending how many MILLIONS of dollars to fix that ego trip. I'd be really curious to know how much money he cut from the budget versus how much is now having to be pumped into it to fix it.<BR/><BR/>Naturally, its also a statement about upper management in that they're failing to recognize or acknowledge the show boaters on a project and to deal with them either by confronting them or booting them off of it. Its amazing how booting of one showboater and casually making an seemingling unrelated comment about team work has a way of dropping the hint to the other problem children.<BR/><BR/>David HAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-74051690089581557672007-12-06T22:38:00.000-08:002007-12-06T22:38:00.000-08:00(L to R) Herb Ryman, Ken O'Connor, Collin Campbell...(L to R) Herb Ryman, Ken O'Connor, Collin Campbell, Marc Davis, Al Bertino, Wathel Rogers, Mary Blair, T. Hee, Blaine Gibson, X. Atencio, Claude Coats and Yale Gracey.Tongaroahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01456743904698992536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-37273590666228088692007-12-06T22:04:00.000-08:002007-12-06T22:04:00.000-08:00Are flying cars less cool of an idea now than they...<I>Are flying cars less cool of an idea now than they were 40 years ago? Are spaceships traveling to other planets any less awe-inspiring? Is the idea of being teleported from one location to another almost instantly not cool anymore? Do we no longer dream of having robots walking among us in everyday life?<BR/><BR/>We still don't have these things. And they're no less interesting now than they were back then. The only difference is that what technology we do have now has given us more insight as to the reality of how these things might actually work once we get there.<BR/><BR/>That, coupled with the fact that new styles have emerged in terms of product design, architecture and just good old fashion art & design mean that areas like Tomorrowland should be even more jaw-dropping than they were in the past.</I><BR/><BR/>Bingo. <BR/><BR/>Somebody should paste that up on a billboard where Bob Iger can drive by every day and read it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-76999058132708770192007-12-06T21:53:00.000-08:002007-12-06T21:53:00.000-08:00It seems to me that part of the problem isn't that...It seems to me that part of the problem isn't that people don't learn from the past mistakes (and sucesses) of others, but that many creative people these days seem to want to leave their mark.<BR/><BR/>Now, obviously, the desire to leave a legacy is just as human as the ability to learn from the past mistakes of others.<BR/><BR/>But there's also a HUGE difference between doing something to make a Disney park great and doing something to make a name for yourself.<BR/><BR/>When people speak of timeless design, for instance where it concerns architecture, I'll bet that we each think of different things. And the truth is that often the most impressive architecture isn't timeless at all...it's design that was really impressive for its day and its style, and has only become "timeless" because SO many people appreciated it that it becomes known as a genre of architecture.<BR/><BR/>And that's true whether it's Baroque or Googie.<BR/><BR/>It seems that often what happens is people are so focused on doing something great, doing something with depth and layers, that they overlook just asking the big "what if" questions.<BR/><BR/>What if money were no object and all the cool technology we're dreaming about for the future...what if all that was real, now. What would my Tomorrowland look like then?<BR/><BR/>Are flying cars less cool of an idea now than they were 40 years ago? Are spaceships traveling to other planets any less awe-inspiring? Is the idea of being teleported from one location to another almost instantly not cool anymore? Do we no longer dream of having robots walking among us in everyday life?<BR/><BR/>We still don't have these things. And they're no less interesting now than they were back then. The only difference is that what technology we do have now has given us more insight as to the reality of how these things might actually work once we get there.<BR/><BR/>That, coupled with the fact that new styles have emerged in terms of product design, architecture and just good old fashion art & design mean that areas like Tomorrowland should be even more jaw-dropping than they were in the past.Louhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09093762519549805218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-36275157998378120542007-12-05T08:10:00.000-08:002007-12-05T08:10:00.000-08:00The key question is who is Disney's (not just WDI'...<I>The key question is who is Disney's (not just WDI's) latter day Walt. John? Tony? Bob Iger? All the above plus a dozen more? Fifty more? A hundred more?</I><BR/><BR/>Great question. But even two years after the Pixar announcement, I suspect the answer is, "no one."<BR/><BR/><I>Ever see a movie made by a half-dozen equally creative directors, where every step in the creative processes was approved by financial department heads?<BR/><BR/>That sort of procedure might get you a film with great individual scenes. Maybe even a great act. But a great thru-line that connects the whole piece? The kind of organic uber-view that made DL a cultural icon in the first place? <BR/><BR/>Sorry, not a chance.</I><BR/><BR/>This ties in nicely with a comment made by one of Douglas Adams' contemporaries, John Cleese. <BR/><BR/>He told attendees at a recent writing symposium I attended, that the Pythons could never write with four or more in the room at the same time. Writing in pairs was preferable; three Pythons writing together usually worked as well. But once the number tipped to four, all hell broke loose. Disagreements and arguments over what was funny interfered too much with production.<BR/><BR/>Is it so difficult to imagine Imagineers in the same predicament? Not at all.<BR/><BR/><I>OK, so who all is here? From left to right, ?, ?, ?, Marc Davis, ?, ?, Mary Blair, ?, Blaine Gibson, ?, Claude Coates, Yale Gracy</I><BR/><BR/>Don't forget Herbie and X!<BR/><BR/><I>The problems Disney faces today aren't ones of a lack of ideas, but a lack of ability to run with those ideas. A slavery to budgets and bottom lines, bureaucracy, and quotas.</I><BR/><BR/>I used to believe this as well, until Nemo Subs resurfaced. Well over $100 million to rehab the sub fleet, and repurpose it into a slow-moving underwater Pixar screening room. <BR/><BR/>Was this money well spent? Depends on your grade for the final product. I would have been much happier with more science-based fiction a la Tomorrowland of Yesterland, and less character-based fiction a la PixieVille. Maybe that's just me.<BR/><BR/>WDI does indeed require a management overhaul, to be sure. And theme parks are outrageously expensive to design and build. But geez... over $100 million to rehab the subs? Which took almost three years to complete? With overtime?<BR/><BR/>Most of Glendale's best work, still, came from a leaner crew during WED's salad days. Lack of adequate funding was always a problem for Walt's original Imagineers. But just look at what they accomplished with those limited funds!!<BR/><BR/>I believe that Imagineering's arteries are still clogged from the EPCOT banquet of bloated and fatty budgets. There are still too many executive cooks in the WDI kitchen, all trying to be the Sous Chef. And just like with the Pythons, too many Imagineering execs attempting to run the show only results in a cacophony of anger and frustration and cost overruns.judihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15415067631504911897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-73232684746365186212007-12-04T23:49:00.000-08:002007-12-04T23:49:00.000-08:00"What's not to understand about this entry?"Well, ..."What's not to understand about this entry?"<BR/><BR/>Well, I'd like to know how a good quote and a picture of some WDI oldies are supposed to advance the conversation. Yes, Douglas Adams' quote fits the situation, but what's being said here that we don't already know? I bet if we looked hard enough, there'd be a number of creativity-related quotes by different people that fit the situation and frame it in a unique, insightful light. But...so what? I visit this place for specific opinions & details on specific topics, not just some Livejournal-like quote and picture link.<BR/><BR/>Look at the comments that are here already. They're longer than the actual entry and have some good points.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com