Even more clones??
Do you know that feeling? You are just listening to some interview and suddenly there is this when this totally unexpected news is revealed? Well, I just had that seconds ago. I was listening to the edition March 23rd, 2006 of the Walt Disney World® Resort: Plugged In podcast, in which they interviewed Al Weiss. I just played in the background while working on the website DLP.info, listening only half-heartedly but then he got my full attention, when he was asked to talk about his new role.
See, Al Weiss has just been appointed to the newly created possition of “President of Worldwide Parks and Resorts Operations” (officially also referred to as “President of Disney Theme Park Operations”). In that function he will have influence on all Disney resorts around the globe, certainly including Disneyland Resort Paris - but excluding Tokyo Disneyland as that is owned and operated by the independent Oriental Land Company under a license agreement. Looking back at the success of Walt Disney World under his leadership, the numerous WDW-exclusive attractions, I wondered what can be expected now for the globe-wide strategy? He did reveal at least a bit of it…
Al Weiss described his responsibility as making sure that the operations in each resort “run as well as they can run. I’m gonna be sharing best practices, we are gonna leverage our talent across the globe, we are gonna look at strategic direction and growth opportunities”. That all sounds fine - especially as it could mean that some of the more guest-oriented, classic Disney attitudes of the US-resorts might actually make it all the way to the Disneyland Resort Paris.
And then Al Weiss had one more comment to make - in fact he stressed: “probably the most important thing that is happening through all of this” … yes, Al, what is it? More exclusive attractions for each park? More money for DLRP? … “we are gonna take our site based operations and really turn them into global focus. So we are trully becoming a global organization”. Now, that sounds fine, doesn’t it? It sure has the opportunity to provide a huge, positive impact … but you better not bet on it yet.
Asked in which way guests might see a change due to this new strategy Al Weiss explained, that “you are gonna see some consistency things that will happen - if there is something great happening at Disneyland I am going to be able to take it across the globe and share it in the other parks in the world. So I think the great things that are going on in all four of the locations that guests get to see in that ONE location, they are now gonna get a chance to see them in all four corners of the world”.
Ah, yes - so successful concepts will be cloned and pop up in all four resorts. A lot of talking if all that is behind it is the idea of continuing the current strategy of cheap clones instead of expensive new developments. One needs to wonder … is that really the way to go? Last time I checked Disney was trying to get their fans as well as regular guests who visited one of the resorts to also visit the other resorts. Somehow if everything outstanding gets cloned and pops up in all the resorts there isn’t much really enticing guests to visit all of them. Or is there?
The trend to clone attractions and share them between parks has been criticized by fans for several years now, even so everybody admits that certain classic rides such as the Haunted Manions, Small World or Big Thunder Mountain certainly should be represented in each Disneyland. And just as sure a hit like Tower of Terror is very welcome in the Walt Disney Studios Paris. But: the secret here is: BALANCE. A balance must be found between cloning successful concepts and creating new concepts, exclusive to a resort which lure guests from all over the world into that one resort to experience the latest Disney wonder. Al Weiss wisely did not venture further into how he plans to balance the idea of sharing success and cutting development costs by cloning concepts with the need to have unique, exclusive attractions in each resort… guess we need to wait and see.
May 14th, 2006 at 11:39 pm
‘Best practices,’ ‘leverage,’ ’strategic direction,’ ‘global focus.’ Does anyone else feel slightly ill at this outpouring of corporate comment? If that’s his idea of providing an exciting future for Disney parks across the globe, we might as well close them now. What happend to concepts like ‘imagination,’ ‘creation,’ ‘excitement,’ ‘enchantment,’ ‘fantasy’ and, above all, ‘innovation’? Do NONE of those fit into the Al Weiss vision for the future? Hopefully, this is only a snatch of his conversation, the financial under-pinning of something more creative and substantial. We all realise there has to be some sound corporate guidance and organisation. But, if this truly is the way forward for the theme parks, there will be nothing for the Imagineers to do; nothing for the Cast members themselves to get excited about; nothing to hang grand marketing campaigns on; and nothing to look forward to.