The hits keep on rollin’ today as Disney announced that Jim MacPhee, former Vice President responsible for EPCOT, has been promoted to Vice President, Next Generation Experience and Walt Disney World Parks. This makes MacPhee the head of operations at Walt Disney World, reporting to resort president Meg Crofton and presiding over the vice presidents of the four individual theme parks.
This is great news. MacPhee, whose Disney cred goes back to 1982, when he was a parking lot attendant during EPCOT Center’s grand opening, is known in fan circles as one of the “good guys.” Reports from inside the resort say that he’s well liked by his cast members, and that he’s a stickler for quality.
MacPhee has been well known to fans since 2007, when as newly-minted VP of EPCOT he reversed the decision to ignore that park’s 25th anniversary and whipped up, in a short amount of time, a day of festivities for fans celebrating the park’s history. A good time was had by all, and MacPhee must have shaken a thousand hands that day as he engaged in conversations with fans for hours. He also, at my request, tried some Beverly. Pictures forthcoming.
Earlier in the year MacPhee was moved from his position at EPCOT to the rather nebulous slot as vice president of “special projects.” This concerned many, who feared that it was just a way of sidelining a pesky executive who was reluctant to cut corners.
It appears, though, that MacPhee was really in his secret lab preparing the mysterious new “Next Generation Experience.” There are many rumors about what this might entail, which I’ve reported on since April, but by and large it’s all still a mystery. Surely, since they’ve announced this change in MacPhee’s position, an explanation will be forthcoming.
In any case, the citizens of Progress City offer their most effusive congratulations to Mr. MacPhee on his promotion. Applause is also warranted for those in the power structure who decided on this promotion, so to Ms. Crofton or even Mr. Rasulo – well done.
PLEASE, PLEASE Mr. Macfee, Restore WDW to some siblance of a theme park, which is clean, with new offerings and trandsetting. RATHER than a brand name with heritage from yesteryear which has become little more than 4 differently themed SALESPOINTS. The place is in need of some change of management paradigm. Greed is killing disney. Cut backs at the guest level are so obvious we live in FLA and won’t go. too disappointing. Hoping for a brighter future. Can’t see WDW getting much worse.
“Vice President Next Generation Experience”? Wow, Disney really IS a bureaucracy! Let’s be sure to appoint someone as the Minister of Silly Walks, and ensure that the Vice President for Naming of Vice Presidents position does not go unfilled, as well!
Would it be tacky for me to point out we’ve had about a gajillion visitors from Disney domains today, and that it would be ever so nice if they were to drop me an email? 🙂
That doesn’t sound like a promotion to me, I’d rather be VP of Epcot than VP of “Next Generation Experience”, which probably consists of Disney embracing the cheapness of video screens instead of animatronics.