My Wish List: What I Want From Josh D’Amaro, Disney's New CEO

The man with the mega-watt smile and the infamous wardrobe is now CEO of the company we love and some of us love to hate. Fan of the parks and of Imagineering, "nice guy" Josh D'Amaro takes the helm of The Walt Disney Company today. An expanded Villains land aside, I'm not sure what he'll bring, but I know what I want. After giving the announcement some time to ruminate, here's my wish list as a theme park enthusiast.

Request: Return the Theme Parks and Resorts to Their Best Days

Reality Check: Josh will have much more on his plate than just theme parks and cruise lines. Still, this should be a priority as they are currently the biggest money makers for the company. This has nothing to do with the cast members and everything to do with providing real value for guests' hard earned dollars. Stop nickel and diming those who come to the properties for a relaxing, fun-filled vacation. Josh, you can pick and choose what changes, so think it through and take immediate action.

Recent Action Working Against Him: Do I really need to mention all the price increases??? If I do, this means the executives are even worse off than I thought when it comes to treating your paying customers as guests. 

Recipe for a Quick Win: Bring back some of the perks that have been taken away, and bring them back for free. In case the Company leaders have forgotten, that means at no additional charge to your customers already paying so much for a room at the resorts or for a park ticket. 

Bonus idea: Lower the cost of a character breakfast. Nothing says greed like this. Seeing Disney characters should be a perk of your park ticket and not an excuse to fleece the faithful flock. AND giving guests another choice or two for a quick service meal would help alleviate the frustration with the generally awful list of meals available at a fairly reasonable price.

Request: Let the Hard Core Disney Fans Know You're Listening

Reality Check: Josh has to listen to the Board and the investors as well. However, keeping the fans happy and keeping them coming back for more is something that just makes sense. It breeds long term success and not just short term gain.

Recent Action Working Against Him: Removing Rivers of America and taking the Muppets out and putting them back in where they do not belong.

Recipe for a Quick Win:  Two important steps here and one bonus idea. 1- Green light a new and exciting, thoroughly charming adventure with Figment and Dreamfinder. By doing this, Josh, you will instantly put lovers of the charming purple dragon and his mentor in a good mood and earn instant credibility with hard core Disney park fans (like me) that think the best Imagineering days are behind them. 2- Bite the bullet and give us a brand new Tomorrowland in Walt's park! It is a huge disgrace that original land of the future is a hollow shell of the great, big, beautiful 1967 version.  3- Follow it up by placing a version of Muppet*Vision 3D into the same courtyard as Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. It's all as easy as 1-2-3. I know, I know it's not, but you're the boss now, so make it happen.

Bonus idea: Bring back some of the entertainment that's been closed since pandemic times. You know, that big empty theater in Disney California Adventure? That'd be a good start.

Request: Encourage Imagineering to Tell Original Stories

Reality Check: Intellectual Property use will always be on the burner when it comes to theme park expansion and enhancements. Instead of bad films making poor choices for attractions, work the other direction and save a great concept for the park, then turn it into a film. Would this work? Hard to say. It's a gamble, but maybe it is one worth taking.

Recent Action Working Against Him: About every Pixar film in recent release. And some lackluster recent attractions. Want some help? Take a long, hard look at how the Company screwed up Tiana's Bayou Adventure and never let something like that happen again. Inviting in one of your greatest Imagineers, Tony Baxter, to coach the project team and then blow off his suggestions is a misfire if not an outright disgrace. The Princess and the Frog is a terrific film with incredible characters and great music! It should never have been wasted on such a poorly scripted plot for the attraction. Aside from the last scene, the entire execution feels off. Need more to consider as further evidence? How about dumping the original memorable trilogy film of Star Wars for something else for Galaxy's Edge? What was everyone thinking? Certainly, someone in the building had to say it to the team planning it all. Well, at least Disneyland is going to try to fix some of the mistakes. Do I need to talk about Avengers Campus?

Recipe for a Quick Win: None. Brainstorm, innovate, work at it until you get something very, very good. Can it be done? Walt did it. You probably can as well! By chance if the movie comes first, don't wait decades to come up with a park attraction built on it.

The Thrill is Gone

Boredom, indifference, being tired. I don't know which one it is, but this I can say: The thrill is gone. No, I don't mean the classic rock song by B.B. King. I mean I just don't seem to care much about many things. My travel business is losing its luster, the new discoveries in my local record store don't bring a rush, I certainly am not all that interested in this blog right now, and definitely anything having to do with the Walt Disney Company is just not bringing it. I'm sure it will all return at some point, but for now, it's just not there.

Walt Disney and Billy Graham

Here's a couple of great photographs of two amazing men: Billy Graham and Walt Disney. Two icons of their worlds. 

I cannot get these thoughts out of my head, so I’d like to share them with you.

Like I think Walt was, Billy was faithful to what God would have him do, decade after decade. Always preaching the Gospel and investing into the lives of others. This included many presidents and world leaders because that was also the opportunity and platform God gave him.  He finished well because Billy did what God asked him to do.

By all accounts, you couldn't be around Billy without hearing the truth about Jesus Christ and His Mission to die on the cross for the sins of all who would believe in Him and then to be risen again to life to prove He was God in the flesh- proving His words that He is the only way to eternal life in heaven with the Father. (“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me". John 14:6) I would bet Walt himself had the message shared with him by hanging around with Reverend Graham. But that's Billy.

What has God asked YOU to do? 

As followers of Jesus Christ, we may not be called to the same things as Billy, and we won’t be held accountable to do what Billy did. Instead we are called to be obedient to share with others exactly where He has placed us.  Each person is given an area and a group of people to reach with the Gospel and to serve in love.  (2 Corinthians 10) What platform and opportunities has God given you?

I wrestle with that at times, staying faithful to the call when times are hard. Don’t you? When we step out, it can be scary.  Friends and family who don’t understand our decision may even criticize us.  Yet, that doesn’t change our mission to be agents of Our Heavenly Father wherever we are placed.

If we love Him, we will do what He commands, responding in words and action to both the Great Commandment (Love One Another) and the Great Commission (Go out into your world and Share What Jesus Has Accomplished through His Death and Resurrection). John 14 tells us:  “15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

Each of us is empowered by God with gifts to do the work He has called us to, so go forth in His strength. He is with us!

So, again, I ask you what I’m asking myself today, “What has God asked YOU to do?”

Our lives may not be as lengthy as Billy’s, but let’s commit together to live them out in a way that brings Him honor and glory, drawing others to Him!

(Photos may have copyright limitations.)

Enough!

Stop the bullying! Just Stop. Please. All kinds of bullying. On line and in person. I'm sick of it, aren't you? In all its forms. Isn't it amazing, for example, what people will say on face book that they would never say in person? That's one reason I left it.

Look at the news, but look beyond as well. It's not just Harvey Weinstein and sexual abusers like him. Bullying takes many forms as well. It happens in schools, offices, playgrounds, boardrooms, churches, locker rooms, on the highways, and in the White House. Some bullies are straight up aggressive like our current president, and some are passive aggressive, shaming people instead of using intimidation. Like our previous one president. When bullies group together, it's even worse. Just take a close look at your favorite political action group. Or sports team. Or executive board. Take a very close look. See what I mean?

Now look even closer. Some bullies are like you, and some are like me. Every size, shape, color, philosophy and persuasion. Open bigots to liberal-minded folks. It's the human condition to not only prefer ourselves above others but to make sure that we self-promote - and to make sure our desires and preferences are satisfied. 

Physical and verbal intimidation are only two forms of this kind of abuse. Sexual intimidation another. Ridicule, innuendo, and being snarky are other forms of abuse and bullying. Abuse of power from the boardroom to the bedroom and everywhere in between. The list goes on and on because sin runs deep within us. More than we admit, more than we realize, and more than I acknowledge within me. God have mercy on us all.

(Think about this- the most powerful person to ever grace the earth was its humblest resident. You know who I'm talking about.)

Keys to Success

Sometimes, something is worth repeating. As I begin to engage again on the Insights blog, I'm giving much thought to how I want to look at it all. A few years ago, I was asked to speak at a club for young businessmen. 

As part of my presentation, I delivered my "Ten Keys to Success". Here they are for your reading pleasure:

DO WHAT YOU LOVE – 

Be thankful for the opportunity you have to do what you love. 

Don't compare your life to others.

INTEGRITY- 

Do what you say you will do. 

Be the same person everywhere you go.

THINK BEFORE SPEAKING AND LISTEN WELL – 

In every situation. The lack of words can be as negatively impacting as the wrong words said at the wrong time.

BE HONEST- 

Speak the truth kindly. Don't lie and don't change the story depending on the hearer and how it will benefit you.

WORK HARD – 

Don't just work hard when people are watching.

ADMIT YOUR MISTAKES- 

Don't dwell on them. Apologize if necessary and move on.

MANAGE YOUR TIME WELL – 

There's much to do and limited hours in which to do it. 

Set your priorities.

TREAT OTHERS WELL AND INVEST IN THEM- 

This includes not being threatened by their success but instead helping work toward it.  

THINK CREATIVELY- 

Don't always do things the way they have been done. 

Think new thoughts, try new ideas.

HAVE FUN! - 

Life goes by so quickly! Enjoy it!

(Copyright Mark Taft.)

Ten Keys to Success

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak at a Young Businessman's Club. The topic was Success. As part of my presentation, I delivered my "Ten Keys to Success":

DO WHAT YOU LOVE – Be thankful for the opportunity to do what you love. Don't compare your life to others.

INTEGRITY- Do what you say you will do. Be the same person everywhere you go.

THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK AND LISTEN WELL – In every situation. Sometimes the lack of words can be as negatively impacting as the wrong words said at the wrong time.

HONESTY- Speak the truth kindly. Don't lie and don't change the story depending on the hearer and how it will benefit you.

WORK HARD – Don't just work hard when people are watching.

ADMIT YOUR MISTAKES- Don't dwell on them. Apologize if necessary and move on.

MANAGE YOUR TIME WELL – There's much to do and limited hours in which to do it. Set your priorities.

TREAT OTHERS WELL AND INVEST IN THEM- This includes not being threatened by their success but instead helping work toward it.

THINK CREATIVELY- Don't always do things the way they have been done. Think new thoughts, try new ideas.

HAVE FUN! - Life goes by so quickly! Enjoy it!

Furious!

Get ready for a bit of a rant. I'm just furious.

After finally getting my car out of the shop after I was hit in a parking lot, I walked out to my garage to find that I was grafittied by some idiot with yellow paint last night. Of course, this came after a very difficult night and hard conversations with people I love.

What is it lately with people not taking responsibility for their actions? Why am I the one that has to constantly excuse and live with someone's immaturity in relationships, job insecurities, or flat out refusal to do what is right. It's never alright to be a coward and let someone else pay the price because you can't man up. I'm tired of people pouting when they do not get their way or when they are challenged when they lie, cheat, steal, and gossip. What's true is true- and it's not relative to what you feel at the moment.

No one is exempt. Not our politicians, not our leaders in any arena, not you, not me. And for that, I'm most furious at me when I do it, too!