The Imagineering Story

[TheGentTrent]

I got a kick out of seeing the words “Iger” and “creative” used together in a sentence.

 

[Magic Feather]

The business strategy going forward with Walt Disney World with Rasulo/Staggs and signed off by Iger had determined the resort was mature and constant capex was not needed. They thought MM+ lock in plus the Scene 1 queue enhancements would be all that was needed. Under Iger Imagineering was decimated by Rasulo during this time.

It's *literally not true* and this is historical revisionism. You can't judge nearly 15 years of management on the most two recent years alone. Plus to lump all of the blame AND praise on Iger just isn't justified.

Laugh Floor, Seas with Nemo and Friends, Toy Story Mania, Submarine Voyage, the DCA Overhaul's initial stages, and the onslaught of entertainment seen from 2006-2009 were all the result of Iger's early years. yes, it is entirely IP-based, and that I disagree with, but that is still a bump from Eisner's ending. The only reason the end of Eisner could come close to the beginning of Iger was because of his clone-a-thon.
The mature/no more constant capex belief came on the scene in ~2010, when they decided to inject an obscene amount of cash into the parks' technological infrastructure. This is when MM+ and Queue Enhancements came onto the scene. While eventually reducing parks' capex was the goal of that project, it was deemed to be unsuccessful before capex had the ability to be significantly cut. Instead, the same amount of money was injected back into traditional parks capex.
Say what you want about which projects got approved (I know MILF and Nemo weren't WDI's best), but Iger began to slowly pull WDI out from the rut that they were in by the end of the Eisner era.

 

[belloq87]

To me, I judge Iger primarily based on this:

Toy Story Mania to Toy Story Land -- 10 year gap.
The Seas with Nemo to Frozen Ever After -- 9 year gap.
Expedition Everest to Pandora -- 11 year gap.

Though Iger didn't greenlight those early projects, he was in charge by the time they opened. There was a striking lack of interest in building up those WDW parks.

 

[Paulio]

To me, I judge Iger primarily based on this:

Toy Story Mania to Toy Story Land -- 10 year gap.
The Seas with Nemo to Frozen Ever After -- 9 year gap.
Expedition Everest to Pandora -- 11 year gap.

Though Iger didn't greenlight those early projects, he was in charge by the time they opened. There was a striking lack of interest in building up those WDW parks.

The Expedition Everest happened while Michael Eisner was still CEO at the time, and was the last original ride. Eisner at least had a vision to uphold Disney's values by adding original rides while also securing attractions based on IPs as well. After Iger took over, he started building attractions based on popular IPs he acquired, made questionable changes like removing the Norway attraction in Epcot in favor of a commercialized popular IP and adding Guardians of the Galaxy there, has a disastrous start of the Star Wars Galaxy's Edge area, and building a Marvel-themed land at DCA that won't match to the vision of Marvel Comics.

 

[Nick]

To me, I judge Iger primarily based on this:

Toy Story Mania to Toy Story Land -- 10 year gap.
The Seas with Nemo to Frozen Ever After -- 9 year gap.
Expedition Everest to Pandora -- 11 year gap.

Though Iger didn't greenlight those early projects, he was in charge by the time they opened. There was a striking lack of interest in building up those WDW parks.

To be honest, while FEA is more popular now than it was as Maelstrom, it didn't gain the park a ride. TSL and Pandora did that (as well as expanded the walkable areas). So imo, I don't even think you can say from The Seas to FEA. I think it needs to be from The Seas to Ratatouille, which is an astounding 13 years.

Of course, The Seas wasn't an added ride or expansion, either.

 

[Scott W.]

To me, I judge Iger primarily based on this:

Toy Story Mania to Toy Story Land -- 10 year gap.
The Seas with Nemo to Frozen Ever After -- 9 year gap.
Expedition Everest to Pandora -- 11 year gap.

Though Iger didn't greenlight those early projects, he was in charge by the time they opened. There was a striking lack of interest in building up those WDW parks.

I didn't realise how bad the park expansions were until recently. I've got a family trip booked for next year and my mum hasn't been to Orlando since 2003. When I was telling her what was new, it dawned on me that everything new in Disney (With the exception of Everest) is only from the past few years.

Universal Studios has had a wild transformation. I think there's only 3 rides remaining from her last trip, ET, MIB and Shrek (Which was the new ride at the time).

 

[Parkscope Joe]

I didn't realise how bad the park expansions were until recently. I've got a family trip booked for next year and my mum hasn't been to Orlando since 2003. When I was telling her what was new, it dawned on me that everything new in Disney (With the exception of Everest) is only from the past few years.

Universal Studios has had a wild transformation. I think there's only 3 rides remaining from her last trip, ET, MIB and Shrek (Which was the new ride at the time).

Almost like they didn’t invest much in attractions at WDW till recently!

 

[Legacy]

I like Seas with Nemo and Friends...

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

I like Seas with Nemo and Friends...

From what I gather its not that people are upset with what they have done, its the lack of frequently doing anything. Getting new stuff every decade isn't awesome.

 

[belloq87]

To be honest, while FEA is more popular now than it was as Maelstrom, it didn't gain the park a ride. TSL and Pandora did that (as well as expanded the walkable areas). So imo, I don't even think you can say from The Seas to FEA. I think it needs to be from The Seas to Ratatouille, which is an astounding 13 years.

Of course, The Seas wasn't an added ride or expansion, either.

I was trying to give the most charitable-possible examples to illustrate just how stagnant things truly were!

I like Seas with Nemo and Friends...

I like it for what it is -- a C-ticket dark ride. Especially when the angler fish is working. If the storyline of the ride was Nemo and his class learning more about the Seas instead of the characters searching for Nemo, I think it would have a better reputation.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

 

[Nick]

None of that is really wrong. Shanghai was HIS project before he was even CEO, going back to 1998. He also has put all of those brands into the park - obviously to varying degrees of success, but these are the facts.

 

[Brian G.]

That description is more appropriate. It's fine.

 

[belloq87]

Question for those who have seen the series up to this point (I'm waiting to binge the whole thing): is Bob Iger an interview subject? Is Michael Eisner?

 

[Nick]

Question for those who have seen the series up to this point (I'm waiting to binge the whole thing): is Bob Iger an interview subject? Is Michael Eisner?

Yes and yes.

 

[belloq87]

Yes and yes.

Okay, that makes me feel a little better. I was concerned it was only going to be Iger shaping the entire narrative (in terms of representation from the high-level executive position).

 

[Nick]

Okay, that makes me feel a little better. I was concerned it was only going to be Iger shaping the entire narrative (in terms of representation from the high-level executive position).

Eisner is highly interviewed in Episode 3. Iger actually hasn’t been in it all that much yet.

 

[Brian G.]

Eisner is highly interviewed in Episode 3. Iger actually hasn’t been in it all that much yet.

And Eisner was refreshingly candid, which is why a lot of people are kinda worried about that Ep 5 description. Everything so far hasn't been blatantly pixie-dusted.

 

[Evan]

I was shocked by how candid Eisner was. When he said they screwed up in Paris. Shocked.

 

[Nick]

I was shocked by how candid Eisner was. When he said they screwed up in Paris. Shocked.

That was just Episode 1 of Eisner screwing up. Still got DCA, WDSP, HKDL and an under built DAK for next episode. TDS will be there though as a bright spot.