Update: Many more details revealed at Disney Online. I was just sent the two photos below of what appears to be membership pins for a new merchandise club for Disney fans called D23. (WDW News Today is running the same photos so I hope they’re… Read More »D23, Disney’s New Membership Club
The change that we all knew was coming has been announced. Once Disney announced that they would be offering severance packages to hundreds of Parks and Resorts Division Executives, I knew the next shoe to drop would be a further consolidation of the east and west coast management structures.
Frankly, Disney has been trending this way a long time. Disneyland lifers have been holding out against the move fearing they would lose some of what makes Walt Disney’s original park special, but the economic crisis has given Jay Rasulo the ammunition to install the changes.
This new action will result in some job loss even below the executive level that was offered severance packages. Unfortunately the details were not announced so we don’t know how deep job loss will go.
Two areas we know are going to get hit hard are: Imagineering and Theme Park Operations. At Walt Disney Imagineering everyone will be consolidated into a single group that handles design for all parks.
The operating infrastructure at Walt Disney World and the Disneyland Resort will also be merged to create a single domestic organization and “back-of-house” operation.
Disney execs were putting the final touches on these changes last week while in town for the American Idol Experience launch.
The changes announced today are effective immediately.
Disney’s Press Release on the reorganization is below the cut and don’t miss Jason Garcia’s coverage at the Orlando Sentinel.:
Read More »Disney Parks and Resorts Division Restructures for Cost Savings
020909 Update: The deal is now official. Nikki Finke reported it first, then the NY Times confirmed the news… Dreamworks SKG (the film and tv, but not the animation, division) has ended negotiations to partner with Universal Studios and instead is heading just a bit… Read More »Disney and Dreamworks? A Match Made in Heaven
The Walt Disney Company shared results from its first quarter (actually 4th quarter 08 calendar speaking) and profits dropped 32 percent. That and some other shaky news has caused shares to slide which has me itching to do one thing. Buy some Disney stock. Alas,… Read More »Disney posts drop in profits, gloomy outlook looms
You go Mickey. When I’m your age, I want to look as young as you do today. These last 80 years have been quite transformative for you. You’ve gone from a sweet and unpretentious little rascal to a modern day role model for the young.… Read More »Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse!
I’ve lost count how many times The Walt Disney Company has been sued for stealing this person or another’s idea for a tv show, movie, attraction, or even a whole theme park (see EPCOT). To counter these lawsuits Disney has set up an internal procedure… Read More »Smoking Gun at ABC Studios?
The venerable magazine from across the pond, The Economist, gives Bob Iger’s reign as king of the Magic Kingdom high marks. Just four years ago the Walt Disney Company was in turmoil following the the second half of Michael Eisner’s turn on the throne. The… Read More »Magic Restored: The Economist on Disney
In case you haven’t done it yet, you can catch up on what happened at the annual Walt Disney Company shareholder meeting here, here, here, and here. Becasue Disney is a company that presents its products as “magical”, has a rabid fan base, was traditionally… Read More »Recapping the Annual Meeting