Prez of Imagineering Out

[merlinjones]

https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2021/12/01/bob-weis-steps-down-as-president-of-walt-disney-imagineering

[mickdaddy]

The changes to imagineering is my biggest fear, this part of the company has always been the heart and soul of Disney and the move to Lake Nona Florida and a questionable change in leadership along with many of the Disney legends of imagineering retiring it will have a massive impact on the future success of attractions, lands, and look of the parks.

[Quentin]

“Barbara Bouza, who joined Disney in June of 2020, will take over as president of Walt Disney Imagineering.“

Only been there 18 months. I doubt she’ll put up
any resistance to Cheapek. Which is a shame given Imagineering has always been an almost independent stubborn entity within the company.

[Starcade]

“Barbara Bouza, who joined Disney in June of 2020, will take over as president of Walt Disney Imagineering.“

Only been there 18 months. I doubt she’ll put up
any resistance to Cheapek. Which is a shame given Imagineering has always been an almost independent stubborn entity within the company.

Putting in someone with barely a year of tenure with the company to run the most critical of dept. is a terrible idea. That position requires decades of experience to pull off correctly. The park continues to feel the cancer that is chapek.

[Brian PieGuy]

“Barbara Bouza, who joined Disney in June of 2020, will take over as president of Walt Disney Imagineering.“

That right there is a red flag🚩

[Mr Wiggins]

R.I.P. WDI


The Wrap: Walt Disney Imagineering’s Bob Weis Moves to Consultant Role, Barbara Bouza Named President

The evolving status of Walt Disney Imagineering, the secretive arm of the company responsible for designing theme park attractions, cruise ships and retail experiences, continues, with news of a major leadership shake-up.

On Tuesday, Bob Weis, who has been president of Walt Disney Imagineering for the past few years, announced that he would be stepping down. Barbara Bouza will become president of Walt Disney Imagineering, while Weis moves into a consultant role at the division. Bouza joined the company in June 2020 as president of business operations, design and delivery. Before that she had served as a co-managing director of architectural firm Gensler Los Angeles. The news comes just ahead of Walt Disney Imagineering moving their operation from Glendale, California, where it had been established by Walt Disney. (It was just down the street from the studio but far enough away to keep prying eyes out.) The division will now move to Lake Nona, Florida, not far from its Walt Disney World resort complex.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, a number of notable Imagineers have either been fired, let go, or quit voluntarily, unable or unwilling to move their families and spouses across the country – folks like Joe Rohde, Amy Jupiter, Kevin Lively, Jim Shull, and more are no longer at Imagineering. Weis will still technically be at the company but in more of an advisory, ceremonial role. (He’ll still be in documentaries, undoubtedly, and appear at events and openings.)...

According to one former Imagineer who spoke on background, Weis’ removal signifies that there really is “no safe ground to stand on” within the unit.

[Mr Wiggins]

Posted in MiceChat's article on the new Disney Chairman of the Board:

If you don't think moving all of Imagineering, Parks, Experiences, Consumer Products, and many other roles to Florida (resulting in the loss of nearly all of Disney's most creative people and those with the history and knowledge about what Disney is) isn't devastating, you haven't been paying attention. Legend after legend is leaving the company and the buzz among Disney's long term employees is abysmal. We are just in the middle of all of this right now, but years from now these will be looked upon as Disney's darkest days. A massive purge of everything that was great about Disney is happening as we speak. By next year the entire company will be run by mostly young loyalists who are all about synergy and know nothing about what "Disney" really means. The Disney we know and love is literally being gutted.

[Jaygatzby]

Sadly, Disney’s, by choice, continual talent losses could hopefully be parks like Universal’s talent gains.”

I know Universal gets a lot of heat for being a more screen and IP-reliant parks franchise, but lately Uni is just getting things more Disney than Disney.

I really hope I am wrong on this next statement, but I get a strong feeling for the foreseeable future beyond what is not currently under construction (thinking 2023 and beyond) Disney will just be creating off-the-shelf attractions and throwing a flavor-the-month IP on them and lite land retheme with more spend on adding food and retail spaces.

I think especially once Epic Universe opens, this attraction quality gap between Disney and Universal will be more clear to the average vacationer.

[Blurr]

I say what I'm about to with some slight hesitation but, all things considered with the current direction of the company, maybe this (-and by extension, what may follow) needs to happen?

Before you start chucking stuff at your computer screen, let me explain. Obviously, in my perfect world, the folks currently at the top would be giving the proper creative control to and making investments in those who know what it means to create something that isn't Pixar Pier. But that's not the reality that we are living in. It just won't happen since the folks up top are so stubborn about it. As long as they don't see a problem, to them, there isn't one.

So maybe.. Imagineering (the core of the experiences in-park) and the work they put out need to, figuratively, crash and burn in the coming years in order for the folks with the power to enact change to start smelling the figurative smoke and start trying to understand where things are going wrong?

I'm sorry if that comes off pessimistic. Like I said, in my perfect world, there'd be no need to crash and burn to begin with. But perhaps the smart play with the hand that's currently been dealt, is to simply allow the problems to manifest. Like all things in life, I imagine Disney's trajectory will continue to have high and low points. Things getting worse in the long term can only mean that eventually, someone is going to shout "fire!" and start making plays to push that trajectory back up. Perhaps this shake up, if it actually yields worse work long term, will eventually cause them to take a step back and ask, "what went wrong?". "What can we do to fix this?". "What do people want to see?".

Sure, by that point there will be a lot of work to do that could have been avoided, but perhaps someday, this will cause an introspective look that will eventually lead to some more major quality changes around the resort and with how it's run. In a twisted sort of way, I guess?

[Spongeocto4]

This is a little concerning as Weiss never said on why he is stepping down to a consultant position. Granted, he is 74 and maybe he wants to semi-retire. But, how this is being framed and its' timing, is concerning.

I don't want to judge a book by it's cover, but Bouza's promotion seems a little...off. Bouza was promoted over other tenured Imagineers or even former Imagineers(COUGH Joe Rohde COUGH), considering Weiss was hired as president after he left Disney. Bouza's background seems to be rooted just in primarily management and not tied to any well known creative projects while outside the company or with Disney.

That being said, I don't think we should be fearmongering about "the dark days of Disney". I think we should be concerned, but not panicking. Weiss is still on company payroll. And the company is still going to have a cough up money for projects, after the pandemic threw the entire Tourism Industry into a loop.

[Mr Wiggins]

I say what I'm about to with some slight hesitation but, all things considered with the current direction of the company, maybe this (-and by extension, what may follow) needs to happen?

Before you start chucking stuff at your computer screen, let me explain. Obviously, in my perfect world, the folks currently at the top would be giving the proper creative control to and making investments in those who know what it means to create something that isn't Pixar Pier. But that's not the reality that we are living in. It just won't happen since the folks up top are so stubborn about it. As long as they don't see a problem, to them, there isn't one.

So maybe.. Imagineering (the core of the experiences in-park) and the work they put out need to, figuratively, crash and burn in the coming years in order for the folks with the power to enact change to start smelling the figurative smoke and start trying to understand where things are going wrong?

I'm sorry if that comes off pessimistic. Like I said, in my perfect world, there'd be no need to crash and burn to begin with. But perhaps the smart play with the hand that's currently been dealt, is to simply allow the problems to manifest. Like all things in life, I imagine Disney's trajectory will continue to have high and low points. Things getting worse in the long term can only mean that eventually, someone is going to shout "fire!" and start making plays to push that trajectory back up. Perhaps this shake up, if it actually yields worse work long term, will eventually cause them to take a step back and ask, "what went wrong?". "What can we do to fix this?". "What do people want to see?".

Sure, by that point there will be a lot of work to do that could have been avoided, but perhaps someday, this will cause an introspective look that will eventually lead to some more major quality changes around the resort and with how it's run. In a twisted sort of way, I guess?

Sadly, I think you're right. From Charles Dickens' day to the present, it has been the nature of profitable corporations to resist hearing the proverbial canary in the coal mine... until there's a cave-in.

[Eagleman]

"
Originally posted by Dusty MiceChat Sage
If you don't think moving all of Imagineering, Parks, Experiences, Consumer Products, and many other roles to Florida (resulting in the loss of nearly all of Disney's most creative people and those with the history and knowledge about what Disney is) isn't devastating, you haven't been paying attention. Legend after legend is leaving the company and the buzz among Disney's long term employees is abysmal. We are just in the middle of all of this right now, but years from now these will be looked upon as Disney's darkest days. A massive purge of everything that was great about Disney is happening as we speak. By next year the entire company will be run by mostly young loyalists who are all about synergy and know nothing about what "Disney" really means. The Disney we know and love is literally being gutted.

I agree with Dusty.....
Except IMO
Today Disney been at work for years of being gutted.....
And have been taken over from the IN SIDE, of the company,
That Getting Worst as time past ........ !

[WaltDisney'sAlec]

I say what I'm about to with some slight hesitation but, all things considered with the current direction of the company, maybe this (-and by extension, what may follow) needs to happen?

Before you start chucking stuff at your computer screen, let me explain. Obviously, in my perfect world, the folks currently at the top would be giving the proper creative control to and making investments in those who know what it means to create something that isn't Pixar Pier. But that's not the reality that we are living in. It just won't happen since the folks up top are so stubborn about it. As long as they don't see a problem, to them, there isn't one.

So maybe.. Imagineering (the core of the experiences in-park) and the work they put out need to, figuratively, crash and burn in the coming years in order for the folks with the power to enact change to start smelling the figurative smoke and start trying to understand where things are going wrong?

I'm sorry if that comes off pessimistic. Like I said, in my perfect world, there'd be no need to crash and burn to begin with. But perhaps the smart play with the hand that's currently been dealt, is to simply allow the problems to manifest. Like all things in life, I imagine Disney's trajectory will continue to have high and low points. Things getting worse in the long term can only mean that eventually, someone is going to shout "fire!" and start making plays to push that trajectory back up. Perhaps this shake up, if it actually yields worse work long term, will eventually cause them to take a step back and ask, "what went wrong?". "What can we do to fix this?". "What do people want to see?".

Sure, by that point there will be a lot of work to do that could have been avoided, but perhaps someday, this will cause an introspective look that will eventually lead to some more major quality changes around the resort and with how it's run. In a twisted sort of way, I guess?

"There cannot be peace without first, a great suffering. The greater the suffering, the greater the peace." -Mission Impossible Fallout villain

It took losing Oswald to get Mickey. Maybe it will take moving Lake Nona and losing to Universal to get an Imagineering renaissance.

[mickdaddy]

"There cannot be peace without first, a great suffering. The greater the suffering, the greater the peace." -Mission Impossible Fallout villain

It took losing Oswald to get Mickey. Maybe it will take moving Lake Nona and losing to Universal to get an Imagineering renaissance.

This is the most frightening statement, because this will take years to happen and many more years to recover from.

[linkeq2001]

This is the most frightening statement, because this will take years to happen and many more years to recover from.

I think it's already happening; I wouldn't say Universal is out in front by any stretch but if you look at new offerings over the last few years they are certainly closing the gap, if not equal at least in terms of attractions. Outside of specific lands Universal does need to move forward in overall theming, but attractions alone.....Flight of the Hippogriff, Secret Life of Pets, Nintendo land, both potters, jurassic park.....there's A LOT of very good things happening in Universal parks. Disney has no doubt done right by fans with RotR, Runaway rail, and we will see what GotG in Epcot brings...but the misses are also piling up.

I know it was deserved and inevitable, and completely unrelated; but as I have said before losing Lasseter was likely the beginning of the end for "old" Disney. He was the one creative mind that had substantial pull as the innovator at Pixar and leader of the companies most profitable era in animation. Lots of the other "legends" recently leaving or still with the company are great creative minds but not in substantial positions in a business sense, Lasseter was; he had the creative mind and was willing to put creativity at the forefront and also had a seat at the table so to speak.

[mickdaddy]

I think it's already happening; I wouldn't say Universal is out in front by any stretch but if you look at new offerings over the last few years they are certainly closing the gap, if not equal at least in terms of attractions. Outside of specific lands Universal does need to move forward in overall theming, but attractions alone.....Flight of the Hippogriff, Secret Life of Pets, Nintendo land, both potters, jurassic park.....there's A LOT of very good things happening in Universal parks. Disney has no doubt done right by fans with RotR, Runaway rail, and we will see what GotG in Epcot brings...but the misses are also piling up.

I know it was deserved and inevitable, and completely unrelated; but as I have said before losing Lasseter was likely the beginning of the end for "old" Disney. He was the one creative mind that had substantial pull as the innovator at Pixar and leader of the companies most profitable era in animation. Lots of the other "legends" recently leaving or still with the company are great creative minds but not in substantial positions in a business sense, Lasseter was; he had the creative mind and was willing to put creativity at the forefront and also had a seat at the table so to speak.

Oh I agree with you, the new things that Universal has absolutely been on par with Disney level attractions. The Harry Potter areas are as deeply immersive as anything Disney has ever created if not more so (although I think the attractions do miss a little) Where Universal falls short for me is the overall feel of the parks in general and they have completely ruined their experience with their front of the line system in my opinion with non-moving standby lines and double your ticket price front of the line passes. (thank goodness Disney has not gone there yet) The quality of the new attractions and areas has brought them a lot closer to Disney and Disney's current leadership really has me worried. I agree the loss of Lasseter was a massive one for the creative side of the company and I fear the current trend to leadership all coming from branding and marketing they will soon be surpassed by Universal that has brought on many of the defected immagineers from Disney. The direction is very scary and I do not see it changing any time soon.

[Starcade]

I keep hearing rumors that many of the these Imagineers and various Creatives that are too young to retire are in fact going to Universal and Cedar Faire ( Knott's being one of their parks ) I know Knott's has definitely stepped up and appears to be investing in their park and Universal seems to be growing at a fair rate. Disney is like a team that wins and championship and then loses all their stars to free agency. The upcoming years are not looking good from any angle at this point.

[Jaygatzby]

I keep hearing rumors that many of the these Imagineers and various Creatives that are too young to retire are in fact going to Universal and Cedar Faire ( Knott's being one of their parks ) I know Knott's has definitely stepped up and appears to be investing in their park and Universal seems to be growing at a fair rate. Disney is like a team that wins and championship and then loses all their stars to free agency. The upcoming years are not looking good from any angle at this point.

I had a friend who had an interesting take on this (she works on films) being:

‘you may not have the brand name and deep pocket budgets as you do on studio films, but it is much more exciting and creatively rewarding working on smaller budget pics rather than studio pics.’

I hope Uni and Cedar Fair/Knott’s reap the creative rewards of what is appearing to be a Imagineer exodus. When one just consider what Disney legend Rolly Crump did with Knott’s Bear-y Tales in 1975, it was amazing.

I want Disney to succeed again and be the leader in Parks attractions, but just like I hope that day (along with a DL Tomorrowland overhaul) comes after Chapek is eventually out.