President of Imagineering Leaving Disney

Barbara Bouza, the President of Walt Disney Imagineering, has introduced that she’s leaving the corporate. This put up shares the information of her departure and provides commentary about what this might imply for the way forward for Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and past.

Bouza joined The Walt Disney Firm in Summer season 2020, a number of months into the Bob Chapek regime. Previous to becoming a member of Disney, she served as co-managing director for Gensler Los Angeles. Based on her Disney Parks bio, she introduced strategic design administration to Gensler and labored with shoppers corresponding to Amgen, Metropolis of Hope, Debbie Allen, JPL/NASA and Netflix.

Whereas Bouza was at Disney, Imagineers introduced quite a few experiences to life that embody Avengers Campus at Disneyland Paris and Disney California Journey, the Disney Want ship for Disney Cruise Line, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and TRON: Lightcycle Run at Walt Disney World, World of Frozen at Hong Kong Disneyland, and Zootopia at Shanghai Disney Resort. Once more, all per her Disney Parks bio.

Bouza has been the President of Walt Disney Imagineering since November 2021, when she took over for Bob Weis. He didn’t formally retire, however moderately, stepped into the position of World Imagineering Ambassador. That occurred forward of WDI’s deliberate transfer from Glendale, California to Lake Nona, Florida. As you doubtless know, that transfer didn’t occur.

It’s price remembering that Walt Disney Imagineering was hit actually onerous in 2020-2021. It’s unimaginable to say how most of the high-profile retirements have really been “retirements” (with heavy air quotes). Joe Rohde and Bob Weis shortly getting new jobs after leaving Disney strongly means that these had been “retirements.”

Anyway, Bouza shared the information through Instagram to say her goodbyes earlier than she leaves subsequent month. You may learn her full put up under:

Proudly constructing upon our extraordinary legacy, Imagineers are shaping a future that evokes humanity.  As one world staff of progressive creators and storytellers, we immerse our company in experiences that make recollections of a lifetime.

As a licensed architect I used to be recruited by The Walt Disney Firm to problem the norm and produce broader world trade perspective and experience. Becoming a member of Walt Disney Imagineering in June of 2020, I really believed humanity wanted Disney greater than ever.  The world was making an attempt to know the influence of a worldwide pandemic, enterprise disruption, keep at dwelling orders, a counting on race, and the rising political divide. From there Imagineers endured the pressures of expertise reductions, unprecedented hyper-escalation on initiatives, political crosshairs, and the necessity to make life altering choices with their households across the relocation from California to Florida.

By means of all of this, Imagineers relentlessly created and delivered a number of the most impactful initiatives within the historical past of The Walt Disney Firm.  This success has fueled the turbocharged progress of Disney Experiences by $60 billion in funding over the following 10 years that Bob Iger and Josh D’Amaro communicate of. So I need to take this second to personally thank all Imagineers, previous, current and future for making the unimaginable potential.

It’s bittersweet as I wrap up my work as President of Walt Disney Imagineering this month earlier than I create a fair greater influence for world. Keep tuned! WDI will likely be in glorious palms with my associate, Bruce Vaughn, Chief Inventive Officer, who’s an distinctive artistic chief.

“There’s actually no secret about our method. We maintain transferring ahead, opening new doorways and doing new issues, as a result of we’re curious.”
Walt Disney

When it comes to commentary, there’s solely a lot I’m going to say. Bouza didn’t put herself on the market as a public determine and I believe it’s unseemingly to dissect the employment standing of others. Followers could valorize Imagineers as a result of it’s a very cool job, however that doesn’t make them really celebrities or whatnot.

What I’ll say is that each challenge highlighted in Bouza’s Disney Parks bio began earlier than Summer season 2020. There may be not a single entry on that listing the place principal artistic or materials design choices had been made subsequent to her hiring. That is solely to say that, when you like or dislike these issues, that’s not likely on Bouza.

As for which initiatives at Imagineering got here throughout the Bouza period? That’s additionally tough to say, since usually it’s a protracted street from incubation till fruition. CommuniCore Corridor could be the apparent one, since that was a very completely different design up till Summer season 2020.

Though it goes in opposition to the narrative that it had been deliberate for some time, I think most of Tiana’s Bayou Journey began in mid-2020. (The outside appears to be like completely completely different from the unique idea artwork, which must be a powerful sign of that.) Most likely the DVC Cabins at Fort Wilderness and Polynesian Tower, in addition to Downtown Disney at Disneyland. She appeared pleased with Disneyland Resort in Paris, so in all probability that, too.

All of this appears to take a look at when you overview the initiatives web page on the Gensler Los Angeles web site. Loads of what’s there ought to look acquainted, and it appeared like Disney, for no matter purpose, wished much less themed design and extra actual world architectural experience. As a normal matter, that is the reverse of what I need. From a personnel perspective, I’d choose management in Imagineering that works its method up from inside. They don’t essentially want wholly artistic backgrounds–however a stability of enterprise and inventive is vital.

With all of that stated, it’s tough/unimaginable guilty/give credit score to Bouza for Imagineering’s output throughout her tenure. That is one thing that usually appears to journey followers up. When a challenge strikes too slowly, there’s cost-cutting, or the tip result’s uninspired, there’s typically a refrain of “Imagineering has misplaced their contact” or “the brand new guard isn’t pretty much as good/artistic/and so on. because the outdated guard!”

That’s not how this works. Consider Imagineering like a chef at a restaurant, Walt Disney World administration because the visitor, and also you as a viewer watching on tv. Like The Menu, however family-friendly. For the restaurant on this instance, let’s use Cítricos at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. It’s among the finest Disney eating places anyplace, and the chef (Imagineering) has some actually bold and envelope-pushing dishes on the menu. Sadly, the visitor (Walt Disney World administration) retains ordering the macaroni & cheese from the children menu.

Now, the conclusion you might draw is that Citricos sucks as a result of all they’re serving is macaroni and cheese. And also you may assume that, when you didn’t have perception into the complete menu. Or you might conclude that possibly the visitor is the issue, and the meal can solely be pretty much as good as what’s ordered.

In a nutshell, that’s the dilemma with Imagineering and followers’ evaluation of it. From the skin trying in, we solely see what Disney Parks administration is definitely ordering from the menu that Imagineering has ready. If that’s a bunch of mac & cheese dishes, who’s really guilty for that, chef or consumer? We don’t see all the artistic initiatives on the menu that aren’t ordered.

We all know Imagineering is able to extra, as a result of we’ve got examples of that. I could also be unimpressed by World Celebration and assume there have been each budgetary (and inventive execution points, to be truthful!), however Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance “proves” to me that Imagineering is able to greatness. I’m hoping to be wowed by Zootopia at Shanghai Disneyland, World of Frozen in Hong Kong and Paris, and Fantasy Springs at Tokyo DisneySea, too. All of that ought to likewise “show” that Imagineering has super expertise when creatively unleashed and given the finances.

Level being, I could not love WDI’s current output (and the dearth of it), and several other of the current designs could have a “Gensler look” to them, however that’s not essentially an indictment of Bouza or Imagineering as an entire. It might merely be that was what administration–whether or not that be Chapek, D’Amaro, or Vahle–ordered from a menu of selections introduced to them. I might see Chapek as a person with mac & cheese tastes. He positively would’ve most well-liked the $13.50 price ticket of that entree over the $52 Guava-barbecued Quick Ribs!

Regardless, Bouza will quickly be gone. Based mostly on each the wording of her announcement and logic, which means that Bruce Vaughn will as soon as once more be the President of Imagineering. He returned to WDI final spring after leaving in 2016. Earlier than that, Vaughn had labored at Imagineering in management roles for 22 years, and had a powerful variety of challenge credit, together with DisneyQuest! (Okay, he had a number of different a lot greater ones–I simply assume it’s humorous that one is usually listed first for some purpose.)

On the subject of Bruce Vaughn, particularly, my information can be restricted and has an outside-looking-in perspective. (A lot of what follows is my commentary from when he returned, recycled and up to date barely based mostly on sentiment I’ve heard since.) My understanding is that his 2016 departure was tied to price overruns and delays at Shanghai Disneyland–that rightly or wrongly, he was primarily the autumn man.

Timing-wise, Vaughn ascended to the highest of Imagineering in 2007, months earlier than the announcement of the Disney’s California Journey overhaul and solely a pair years earlier than New Fantasyland was greenlit for Magic Kingdom. These main initiatives precipitated a decade-plus of main growth within the home and worldwide parks. When it comes to spending on the parks, Vaughn’s observe document speaks for itself.

One probably attention-grabbing angle of this information is that Vaughn was ousted shortly after Bob Chapek ascended to the position of Parks Chairman, and returned shortly after Chapek’s downfall. That may very well be completely coincidental, or not. If it isn’t, my honest hope is that that is the beginning of the return of earlier leaders who (allegedly) butted heads with Bob Chapek or in any other case had been considered as threats.

Following Vaughn’s return, quite a few present and ex-Imagineers praised Iger for bringing him again and considered it as a vastly optimistic transfer. That is significantly significant when coming from the previous Imagineers, as they will communicate extra freely–a lot of them are barely jaded, so something they few favorably typically carries extra weight.

Between the phrases of Imagineers and Vaughn’s tenure and observe document at Disney, he’s the one I’d moderately have as President of Walt Disney Imagineering. Once more, that’s from the skin trying in and with out figuring out something extra. On paper, Vaughn is the higher match for head of WDI.

Talking of homecomings, I’d like to see Joe Rohde, Bob Weis, Tony Baxter, Kevin Rafferty, and different Imagineers introduced again. Walt Disney Imagineering has been hit onerous within the final a number of years. Once more, it’s unimaginable to say how most of the current high-profile retirements have really been “retirements” (with heavy air quotes). I’d think about that no less than a few these people (and others) may very well be lured again to Disney.

Personally, I’m optimistic on Bruce Vaughn because the (presumptive) President of Walt Disney Imagineering. It’s noteworthy that he was on stage throughout final fall’s Vacation spot D23 and struck a a lot completely different (higher) tone concerning the blue sky proposals–it struck me as doing a little bit of ‘restoration’ as he indicated that he wasn’t utterly comfy with Imagineering sharing plans earlier than they’re formally introduced.

In any case, I’ve been saying for a few 12 months now that I believe Imagineering is on the precipice of its subsequent massive growth cycle for the home parks. Disney might have introduced him again, and is now selling him to the highest spot as a result of he’s a great chief and has extra expertise with each Imagineering and precise theme park work.

Vaughn was often known as extra of a challenge supervisor, however that’s every bit as wanted as sensible creatives who can dream up creative and envelope-pushing points of interest. Imagineering has turn out to be infamous for bloated budgets and challenge delays, and there are many cases of current initiatives missing a coherent imaginative and prescient and focus. Creatives want guardrails, and maybe Bruce Vaughn is the kind of chief that may present that. I really have no idea.

Speculating a bit, I might definitely see a state of affairs the place Bob Iger is gearing up for one more growth cycle and desires an ally at Imagineering. Iger and Vaughn labored collectively over the last massive increase for the theme parks, so this might not be even a remotely far-fetched state of affairs.

In that case, it’s additionally believable that Imagineering must workers again up–and Vaughn could have a better time working with or luring creatives to return than Bouza, who was an outdoor rent made proper as all of the layoffs began and relocation plans had been revealed. None of that was her fault, clearly, however she might “symbolize” a foul period for Imagineering and be a casualty in consequence.

In the end, that’s the place I’m at with this. I nonetheless imagine that Vaughn was introduced again as a result of optimistic change is on the horizon and that Imagineering is gearing up for the following massive growth cycle. Furthermore, that they’ve been so gutted within the final 4 years that they’re making an attempt to undo the harm and turning to a frontrunner in Vaughn who labored in Imagineering for 22 years and certain has the relationships and experience for precise theme park attraction and land design. I’d additionally like to see true creatives with institutional information and clearly-defined portfolios introduced again to Imagineering.

Then once more, Bruce Vaughn was on the high of Walt Disney Imagineering throughout the growth of the unique Pandora – World of Avatar (one other notorious ‘second’ of his was being Photoshopped out of groundbreaking images for that!). Maybe Imagineering is getting the gang again collectively for spherical two at Disneyland, and Joe Rohde would be the subsequent re-hire. All issues thought of, I’m excited for the last decade to come back at Walt Disney World and Disneyland…and I definitely hope this performs into that!

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YOUR THOUGHTS

What do you concentrate on this Imagineering information? Assume this will likely be a optimistic or detrimental–or a mix of each–for Imagineering and Disney followers? Ideas on this being WDI laying the groundwork for giant growth plans which might be on the horizon? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Be at liberty to share your perspective, however maintain the feedback civil. This isn’t the place for politically-charged arguing, tradition wars, antagonism, private assaults, or low cost pictures. We will likely be heavy-handed in deleting any feedback that cross the road, regardless of viewpoint.