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Captain America Rules at the Box Office

Disney has found something to dethrone the British boy wizard. It’s Captain America. The First Avenger leaped into first place with a weekend box office of an estimated $66 million. Harry Potter descended to a more earthly $48 million. Disney’s two animated films Cars 2,… Read More »Captain America Rules at the Box Office

Promotions Shake Up Disney Parks & Resorts under Tom Staggs

In a long internal memo today, Tom Staggs made official the organizational shakeup everyone knew was coming after Staggs took over the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division. It’s nothing earth shattering, but it does flatten some of the levels of hierarchy that were said to have frustrated Staggs since he took over.

In short, current WDW president Meg Crofton expands to oversee all the domestic parks and the two parks in France. Karl Holtz, who a few years ago was rumored to be leaving Disney, is instead adding DVC to his DCL and Adventures by Disney responsibilities. Leslie Ferraro becomes executive vice president, Global Marketing and Sales combining those two closely related departments and Erin Wallace, executive vice president, Operations Integration also adds revenue management to her desk. The move also creates a new executive council under Staggs.

While Staggs’ reorganization did not cut any of the deadwood certain segments of Disney fans wanted to see go, I believe the general movement here is a good one. It will allow for efficiencies where they need to exist and independence, with oversight, as required for the parks. Combining marketing and sales is a no-duh in my book, they are both measured by the same final metrics (butts in beds and asses through the gates), so unifying them is good. The only move that looks questionable to me is giving the extra power of revenue management to operations. However, they are the yin and the yang of theme park operations. Having one person keep a close eye via her myriad of spreadsheets and minions (and I mean that in the nicest possible way), could be very positive.

Let’s keep a watch on this for the next 3-year planning cycle and see if there really is any improvement. Meanwhile, the pressure is kicked up a notch for these people to get things done or they too could be reorganized right out of a job.

The full text of Tom Staggs’ announcement is below the jump:

Read More »Promotions Shake Up Disney Parks & Resorts under Tom Staggs

Patrick Warburton spoofs the Ride Safety Spiel

Patrick Warburton spoofs the ride safety spiel that is so common on every roller coaster or e-ticket attraction, including “Soarin’” which features a ride safety spiel from Warburton himself. Rollercoaster Safety with Patrick Warburton – watch more funny videos You’ll also find Patrick Warburton as… Read More »Patrick Warburton spoofs the Ride Safety Spiel

An Eye on Marvel

Both eyes if I can spare them. Well, things are beginning to slot into place for the growing relationship between Marvel and Disney that began in 2009. The movie contracts are beginning to play out with the end result building strong new franchises for the… Read More »An Eye on Marvel

New Christmas Merchandise Highlights

Back with some highlights of new Holiday merchandise available at Disney’s theme parks. A new series of Christmas Tree Ornaments of your favorite Pixar characters. Matching Pixar Finding Nemo and Cars Stockings. There’s a Toy Story one too. I really like this new line of… Read More »New Christmas Merchandise Highlights

Hidden Mickeys Book Updated Anew

Ever since Walt Disney’s Imagineers started working on EPCOT Center, they’ve purposely hidden Mickey Mouse’s iconic silhouette shape around the Walt Disney World resort both as a way to entertain themselves and to reward curious guests who pay attention to the details. Fast forward 30… Read More »Hidden Mickeys Book Updated Anew