WDI to be decimated...again

[no1here]

I got this from an Imagineer friend today.

"Massive layoffs in WDI this week...

It sucks... they're letting go a lot of GREAT employees. People who have been working for the company for 20+ years!!!

How did the Walt Disney company let itself get to such a poor
financial state that it has to eliminate so many talented and loyal
employees? WDI's days seem numbered because it's cheaper to buy rides
from outside vendors. Hence DCA.

I guess it's time to dust off the old resume."

It is true that WDI will eventually become just a barebones element of The Walt Disney Company. When Disneyland was first dreamed up, Walt had to create WED because no one had built a park like his before. These days, however, there are dozens of companies that already have the technology and that can do it for less than it costs WDI to "invent" it themselves.

[figment1986]

well.. it seems to happen after many projects happen and they dont attatch to another massive one...

Sad thought.. all that talent leaving the company... (and some heading for Universal.. remember IOA...)

[Speedway]

It seems Eisner doesn't want us to forget him that quickly.

[SilentBob66]

Apparently it will only take another ten years of massive financial losses to prove to these managerial nitwits that we're right and they're wrong.

[Flint]

WDI to be decimated...again

They're removing a tenth of the employees?

[Carlarella]

It seems to me that if you let go of all of your talent then you aren't going to be able to create anything new. Since creating "new" is what a company like Disney is suposed to do, it doesn't make sense to get rid of their greatest asset. Then again, I'm a librarian, not a business person or MBA, so what do I know?

[Cousin Orville]

Truly sad.

Forest fires breed new life too. Who says they won't be in the market for new talent when things turn back around? (Somalia Disneyland) Sometimes manangement uses these downturns to weed out those they couldn't fire due to seniority, etc. Hope that's not the case here, just that Hong Kong must be close to done. We'll have to watch it closely. In any event, it is truly sad, as the Imagineers are the soul of the company :confused: :confused: :confused:

[Mr. Eggz]

Hold on to your hats, folks. WDI just finnished the second largest layoff in its history less then 3 years ago, and now Jay Rasulo is going to finish the job. There wont be much left.

[Cousin Orville]

Hold on to your hats, folks. WDI just finnished the second largest layoff in its history less then 3 years ago, and now Jay Rasulo is going to finish the job. There wont be much left.

Somehow WDI keeps bouncing back. Despite numerous bloodletting after each park opens,they made it thru EPCOT, DLP and AK, TDL, and all other storms, so HKDL couldn't be that much worse. Let's light a candle.

[Mr. Eggz]

Somehow WDI keeps bouncing back. Despite numerous bloodletting after each park opens,they made it thru EPCOT, DLP and AK, TDL, and all other storms, so HKDL couldn't be that much worse. Let's light a candle.

The difference is there were layoffs after Epcot/TDL in 82/83 and then they rebounded and rebult to get ready for Disney/MGM and DLP. Then DLP opened and there were layoffs in 92/93. Then they rebuilt there team for DAK, DCA, TDS and DSP (no major layoffs after DAK, people jumped to the other three parks in development). Layoffs again struck in 2002. So you see there is a ten year cycle, WDI still has not rebuilt since the last wave. There in lies the problem.

[RGalica]

Layoffs...

The Walt Disney Company doesn't need to resort to layoffs. Eiger did his showpiece of 25 management layoffs a few weeks ago. Our company has two ways we can do this and ELIMINATE ANY any layoffs:

Theory One: We will eliminate the divdend per share and use that money saved to open a new ride or two at one park per year. Add to that the elimination of all bonus awards to the big guys. Their manking enough money as it is.

Theory Two: Continue layoffs and such until things get to a critical path that Disney will be required to close the parks because it will be a much cheaper option. Export the two US themeparks to India and restaff with non unionized workers from China. This is exactlly what other businesses are doing to lessen the need for more employees.We can cut back on operational staff at each ride. There is no reason that an operator at Big Thunder cannot handle the and control the rides wirelesses.

Two Ideas to Save Loads of Money. :lol:

[dshimel]

Theory One: We will eliminate the divdend per share and use that money saved to open a new ride or two at one park per year. Add to that the elimination of all bonus awards to the big guys. Their manking enough money as it is.

And the stock price crashes through the floor, and another ComCast type company buys them out and sells off the parks to Cedar Fair, Ltd.

Theory Two: Continue layoffs and such until things get to a critical path that Disney will be required to close the parks because it will be a much cheaper option.

Not far from that now... Lay-offs and benefits cuts are the only things keeping them from just selling off the parks right now.

[Cousin Orville]

The difference is there were layoffs after Epcot/TDL in 82/83 and then they rebounded and rebult to get ready for Disney/MGM and DLP. Then DLP opened and there were layoffs in 92/93. Then they rebuilt there team for DAK, DCA, TDS and DSP (no major layoffs after DAK, people jumped to the other three parks in development). Layoffs again struck in 2002. So you see there is a ten year cycle, WDI still has not rebuilt since the last wave. There in lies the problem.

My bet is that they will open HKDL to huge crowds and since there is nothing to do it will look like a smash hit. a big expansion plan will ensue and thus more parks in the asia region like India and Singapore. then WDI will againhave something to do. they've blown their wad on the 50th and all these rides so it may be slow for a bit. I agree that WDI must be getting strip mined.

[Scarecrow]

I had a phone conversation with some friends of mine who're still at Imagineering (for now, that is). The new philosophy there is to outsource whatever they can and get it as cheap as they can. Particularly in Engineering. Thus cometh the layoffs.

The parks have set a maximum value they'll spend for an attraction, regardless of type or complexity. And, this price is far less than what WDI estimates it would take (in current dollars) to build a PoTC or an HM. So, expect more Limos and less Pirates in the future.

So, they're going to cut here and there, outsource this part to a ride builder, that part to somebody else (is there anyone else who does animatronics??), and a large part of the software will probably be sent overseas.

Isn't that pretty much what they did with DCA (minus the overseas part), and then the WDI had to re-do large parts of it??

One more thing. They said the parks now want to stress the ENTIRE park experience, rather than concentrating on a new blockbuster attraction. So, expect fewer blockbuster attractions.

So, what do you folks think? Is this a good thing, or is the Emperor showing us
his privates??

-Scarecrow.

[Tom Chaney]

...They said the parks now want to stress the ENTIRE park experience, rather than concentrating on a new blockbuster attraction. So, expect fewer blockbuster attractions.

So, what do you folks think? Is this a good thing, or is the Emperor showing us
his privates??

-Scarecrow.

I may be sticking my neck way out for saying this but, despite Uncle Walt's statement to the contrary, Disneyland may be pretty much completed. There isn't much real estate left to develop. It's going to get harder and harder to close old rides to replace them with new because the old rides are rapidly acquiring icon status. I'm not sure we'll ever see a new E-Ticket in Disneyland again. We've come to expect certain things when we visit the park: Main St., Space Mtn, HM, POTC... etc. When the few remaining bits of bare ground are covered, which one of these are you going to tear out for the next new ride? (...and BTW, I hope they leave some of the ground bare...bear... for the nice, relaxing atmosphere. Sometimes a bit of escape is welcome.) I think if I were in charge, I'd refurbish the park to pristine condition... rehab the broken rides... put Tomorrowland back in shape... then freeze it in time. After that, only maintenance and the occasional promotional theme tweak is needed. Ya know... that might just be what they're doing. Plenty of room for development and necessity for same in DCA. Look for the future money to flow in that direction.

[Mr. Eggz]

I had a phone conversation with some friends of mine who're still at Imagineering (for now, that is). The new philosophy there is to outsource whatever they can and get it as cheap as they can. Particularly in Engineering. Thus cometh the layoffs.

The parks have set a maximum value they'll spend for an attraction, regardless of type or complexity. And, this price is far less than what WDI estimates it would take (in current dollars) to build a PoTC or an HM. So, expect more Limos and less Pirates in the future.

So, they're going to cut here and there, outsource this part to a ride builder, that part to somebody else (is there anyone else who does animatronics??), and a large part of the software will probably be sent overseas.

Isn't that pretty much what they did with DCA (minus the overseas part), and then the WDI had to re-do large parts of it??

One more thing. They said the parks now want to stress the ENTIRE park experience, rather than concentrating on a new blockbuster attraction. So, expect fewer blockbuster attractions.

So, what do you folks think? Is this a good thing, or is the Emperor showing us
his privates??

-Scarecrow.

Scarecrow comes right out of the gate with the most informative and accurate post on this subject on the web. Anyone who thinks the layoffs and outsourcing at WDI is a good thing needs to take a long hard look at the Six Flags parks or Knotts. It'll take years or decades, but that is where Disney is headed. The current lay-offs are not a controlled burn, but a wild fire. People loose their jobs not because their skill isn't useful or they have underperformed. They loose their jobs because they arn't dutiful little yes men. Anyone who speaks out against management at WDI is "laid off" at management's convenience. WDI management is more currupt then most Hollywood Studios. WDI is a beaten down shadow of it's former self. There is nothing cyclical about it. WDI has never been this low before. It's sad, but it would take a miracle to save WDI at this point.

..and in case you're wondering, Bob Iger has taken no interest in WDI. It is the only business unit in So Cal he has not visited since being named CEO-elect, and it's only a five minute drive from his office.

[cellarhound]

I had a phone conversation with some friends of mine who're still at Imagineering (for now, that is). The new philosophy there is to outsource whatever they can and get it as cheap as they can. Particularly in Engineering. Thus cometh the layoffs.

The parks have set a maximum value they'll spend for an attraction, regardless of type or complexity. And, this price is far less than what WDI estimates it would take (in current dollars) to build a PoTC or an HM. So, expect more Limos and less Pirates in the future.

So, they're going to cut here and there, outsource this part to a ride builder, that part to somebody else (is there anyone else who does animatronics??), and a large part of the software will probably be sent overseas.

Isn't that pretty much what they did with DCA (minus the overseas part), and then the WDI had to re-do large parts of it??

One more thing. They said the parks now want to stress the ENTIRE park experience, rather than concentrating on a new blockbuster attraction. So, expect fewer blockbuster attractions.

So, what do you folks think? Is this a good thing, or is the Emperor showing us
his privates??

-Scarecrow.

Well, we have been seeing movement in this direction for some time really...

Again, I disagree with this strategy because it will form imagineering groups in the market increasing the level of rides in non-disney parks... Not a wise move... This happened with animation... This happened with Featrue Film... It is going to happen with Imagineering...

That is the thing about Disney... Since Eisner has taught everyone to look at the bottom line all the time, the focus on retaining trainned talent has relaxed... By releasing people you are sharing trade secrites...

It would be better to keep WDI in tact... Build it up and maybe branch it out like George Lucas did with Industrial Light and Magic.

This of course is an upper management decision...

But I think they need to rip through WDI managment and give them the pink slips first for believing that imagineering under budget is more satisfying that using their skills to design an over all vision...

Focusing on the "Entire Park" sounds to me like they are interesting in designing new parks rather than reworking old rides... If this is the case, it would show a possable desire to bulldoze DCA and start over... But that would be even more costly than fixing what you have... So I bet they are in a bit of a quandary over what to do...

[Cousin Orville]

Extreme makeover WDI.

[lyd]

Instead of laying off Imagineers how about selling off that piece of junk you bought for a criminal 5.2 billion dollars, Fox Family Channel. That was the biggest mistake ever done by Eisner next to Go.Com.

And yet people at the top still received massive bonus's for those mistakes, UNBELIEVEABLE!

[WDW1974]

Instead of laying off Imagineers how about selling off that piece of junk you bought for a criminal 5.2 billion dollars, Fox Family Channel. That was the biggest mistake ever done by Eisner next to Go.Com.

And yet people at the top still received massive bonus's for those mistakes, UNBELIEVEABLE!

You can say that again. Only in big business can you make as many poor decisions and cost your company BILLIONS of dollars and walk away a billionaire yourself.

But I wonder if any of the current WDI layoffs really matter. So many of the truly talented have long since departed. Instead you have folks that think 3D movies, thrill rides that aren't all that thrilling and kiddie playgrounds are the way to go. Disney hasn't opened a complete theme park in the USA since 1982 and hasn't opened a quality one since 1998.

The parks at WDW have really suffered from poor upkeep, poor CM morale and poor CMs period and a general dumbing down/WalMarting, so I'mnot so sure what the real answer is. A fish rots from the head down.