New Theme Park Management Bachelor’s Degree Available for Cast Members Through Disney Aspire

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Uncategorized

A new Theme Park Management bachelor’s degree is now available for Disney Cast Members through the Disney Aspire program.

Disney Aspire Adds Theme Park Management Degree

Announced via the Walt Disney World Ambassadors’ Instagram account, hourly full-time and part-time Disney Cast Members based in the U.S. can now utilize the Disney Aspire program to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Theme Park Management from the University of Central Florida (UCF).

According to NSM Today, the four-year degree was launched at the university earlier this fall. Interested Cast Members are encouraged to visit the Disney HUB to learn more.

Disney Aspire, first launched in 2018, is a 100 percent tuition-paid education investment program for hourly Disney Cast Members. Through this program, Disney pays for college tuition upfront, allowing for Cast Members in the U.S. to continue their education across a network of schools.

UCF describes the degree as follows:

The Theme Park and Attraction Management program will immerse you in the managerial, creative, and technological aspects of the theme park industry. Our courses are designed to help you understand the complex industry, design, and manage successful theme parks and attractions while developing the leadership, communication, critical thinking and collaborative skills you’ll need for your career in theme park and attraction management. Our key industry partnerships with some of Orlando’s biggest names will expose you to national and global attractions industry leaders in the classroom as well as unmatched internship and job placement opportunities.University of Central Florida

Disney Company Fires Hundreds of Employees to Save Face with U.S. Government

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Disney suddenly fired hundreds of employees working in the company’s Beijing, China, office earlier this year, and now investors know why.

In March 2023, hundreds of Disney employees working in China were given the boot, but because the move came several weeks after The Walt Disney Company’s fiscal first-quarter earnings call, during which CEO Bob Iger divulged his plans for a massive $5.5 billion cost-cutting initiative, the layoffs didn’t raise many eyebrows.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Disney laid off more than 300 employees in the capital city of Beijing. The employees affected were involved in Disney’s streaming service. At the time, the layoffs were perceived as part of Disney’s forecasted $5.5 billion cost-cutting initiative and seen as more of CEO Bob Iger’s plan to cut costs by slashing more than 7,000 jobs within The Walt Disney Company.

Bob iger wears a tuxedo and stands in front of a wall with disney written in neon letters

During the earnings call, the need for such drastic changes within the company was so dire that the veteran CEO promised they would go into effect immediately. Disney’s President of Parks, Experiences, and Products, Josh D’Amaro, said the changes would be felt across the entire company, including at Disney’s U.S. theme park resorts.

Now, however, The Wall Street Journal reports that Disney dismissed hundreds of employees in its Beijing office as a way of saving face during an upcoming meeting with U.S. Congressman Mike Gallagher (R-Wisconsin), who chairs a committee focused on the United States’ competition with China. The committee is also very interested in data privacy as it relates to that relationship.

Per The New York Post, Gallagher has been a “tenacious critic” as it pertains to data security and China’s potential access to American consumer data. The group of Disney employees that were excused had access to some of that data, according to those close to the situation, and Disney’s attorneys had reportedly been vocal about concerns about that access, saying it “could be seen as a potential red flag by the committee.”

Disney, however, denies that the layoffs were related to the meeting planned between CEO Bob Iger and Rep. Gallagher and maintains that the changes were part of Disney’s cost-cutting initiative, first outlined in the February earnings call.

According to a representative for The Walt Disney Company, “Disney’s decision to restructure and consolidate these operations was not motivated by data security vulnerability concerns.”

Former Imagineering President Bob Weis Leading Gensler’s Entertainment Practice Area

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Former President of Walt Disney Imagineering Bob Weis will be leading the creation of Gensler’s new Entertainment Practice Area, he announced on Instagram Thursday.

Weis retired from Imagineering in early 2023 and then joined design and architecture firm Gensler as their Global Immersive Experience Design leader. He wrote on Instagram that with the Entertainment Practice Area, he, alongside Lexi Barry and their team, will “bring storytelling to life through physical, digital, and sensory engagement.” The team includes former Imagineers Elisabeth Papadopoulos, Greg Ashton, and Eric Robison.

The video Weis shared includes some of his concept art and notes.

When Weis joined Gensler, he said, “At Disney, we often collaborated with Gensler, and I was able to see firsthand its culture of design innovation that transforms the quality of life in our world. This is what visionary companies are seeking, and what we all are yearning for as we interact with the world around us. Gensler’s commitment to leading the future of design is perfectly aligned with my passion for developing unique, immersive experiences with a diversity of creative voices.”

In an interview at the time, Weis laid out what he thinks the three main elements of immersive experience are:

First, these are experiences that people want to do together. We’re tired of being at home in front of our computers. We’re looking for communal celebratory experiences with our friends, family, and other people in our community.

This is why Gensler is so important in the development of immersive experiences. The firm already has such an incredible commitment to the cultural vibrancy of cities and the place where we live, work, and play. It’s exciting to think that we can create great stories that people can experience together in new ways and do them in the spaces Gensler already creates.

The second element is that we are immersing people into the space, meaning we are surrounding them with the theme, the story, and the idea. This is different from what we’re used to, which is watching things on a screen or seeing a piece of sculpture or painting in a museum. In this medium of immersive experiences, we want to break out of the screen and really envelop all the senses — sight, smell, emotion, the feel — all the things that can tell the story in physical ways that you will never forget.

And the last element that is key to an immersive experience — and this is maybe the hardest to accomplish — is that we are giving people agency in the story itself. We want people to feel that these experiences are their story and that the story becomes about them. Think of going to the theater, but instead of watching the play from your seat, you are part of the play. You are impacting how the conflict is resolved or how the art piece is accomplished. You have a real authentic impact on the experience. It’s an active role.

Weis was with Walt Disney Imagineering for 42 years, serving as president of WDI for a time and then Global Imagineering Ambassador. He officially departed Disney on January 2, 2023.

Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Approves Replacing Walt Disney World Annual Pass Benefit with Stipend for Employees

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Uncategorized

During a meeting on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) Board of Supervisors discussed and unanimously approved a new benefits stipend policy for its employees and retirees, replacing the previous Walt Disney World Annual Pass benefit.

During today’s meeting, District Administrator Glen Gilzean Jr. revealed that instead of a Walt Disney World Annual Pass, district employees and retirees “in certain circumstances” will instead receive a $3,000 annual stipend. The stipend can be used to purchase an annual pass to Walt Disney World if desired.

Employees will receive the new stipend 90 days from their hire date, following the probationary period. The stipend will be issued annually, and is subject to tax withholdings and budget appropriations.

In the case of retirees, eligibility for the stipend is determined based on age and years of service, with variations in eligibility for spouses of deceased employees or retirees.

Gilzean said that the District is “doing everything possible” to enhance the annual pass program, and “this stipend is part of that process.”

This updated deal will last for two fiscal years from October 1, 2023, unless the board renews.

Employees and retirees of the CFTOD have historically received Walt Disney World Annual Passes, as well as passes for family and friends and sometimes other Disney benefits. After receiving a bill from Walt Disney World, the District released a press release in August calling the benefits a “scheme” and “handouts,” vowing to remove them. Later that day, a leaked email from District Administrator Glen Gilzean Jr. revealed the District had already ended the benefits with no warning. At the next CFTOD Board meeting, District firefighters spoke out against the decision, calling it a “low blow” against them.

Martin Garcia, Chairman of the Board, said canceling the program came down to three points: the policy only benefited Walt Disney World, it was inequitable to employees because larger families got more benefits, and the policy may endorse something “illegal,” that is a private company giving gifts to public employees.

MasterClass Spent $100,000 on Set Recreation of Bob Iger’s Office

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

According to a report from The Information, MasterClass spent $100,000 to recreate Bob Iger’s office when they filmed the CEO’s classes.

MasterClass launched Iger’s 13-lesson course in 2019, just before he originally stepped down as CEO of The Walt Disney Company. The MasterClass is a total of 2 hours and 11 minutes with the following description.

In an era of disruption, Disney CEO Bob Iger led one of the world’s most beloved brands to unprecedented success with the acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm. Now, through case studies and lessons from 45 years in media, Bob teaches you how to evolve your business and career. Learn strategies for expanding a brand, leading with integrity, and making big moves—from risk management to the art of negotiation.

Iger told Variety at the time, “I’ve had some great teachers and have learned many lessons. With my MasterClass, I want to give back and impart what I’ve learned throughout my career.”

When the course launched, it could be accessed for a flat rate of $90, or via a $15/month MasterClass subscription. It’s now available only via a MasterClass subscription, which starts at $120 a year or 4 payments of $30.

When filming Iger’s course, MasterClass wanted to use his real office, but it didn’t work logistically as a set. So they instead opted to build a replica of the office in a conference room elsewhere on the Disney campus. One of The Information’s sources said MasterClass spent about $100,000 on just the set. Disney didn’t charge them for renting the space, but with everything else factored in, the shoot cost MasterClass about $850,000 — before paying Iger to teach the class.

MasterClass was growing rapidly at the time, and had a surge in subscriber growth during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. A former employee said the average MasterClass shoot cost around $1 million to film and edit a few years ago.

Now interest in the courses hosted by A-listers is dropping off. MasterClass cut their number of employees down from 600 to 300, including much of the production team, and has begun out-sourcing most of their filming.

MasterClass spokesperson Beth Swierk said, “Like many other companies, over the past 15 months we have had to make difficult decisions related to headcount, and we have also focused on reducing costs and driving efficiencies within our business. Taken together, these actions have made MasterClass stronger—financially and strategically. Costs are down and our teams continue to innovate in content and formats.”

We don’t know if the $100,000 office set included Iger’s favorite private shower.