Can We Talk About Joe Rohde For a Minute?

[Skold]

i apologize in advance to the people that compare him to Tony Baxter, but my perspective is decidedly different.

What has he done that was actually good?

- Yeti
- DinoLand. While this did certainly achieve the "roadside carnival" vibe that he was going for, really ? Yes, that simulated roadtop that can withstand so many steps a day sure is great...
- Dinosaur. Haven't been since the refurb, hopefully the AAs and lighting work now.
- Lucky the dinosaur. Didn't last a year.
- Beastly Kingdom
- Discovery River Boats
- Kali... maybe half the ride works
- Kilimanjaro - the whole story line was taken out, with the bridge.
- Rivers of Light!

For a guy who supposedly has such "vision", the track record speaks for itself.

Asia and Africa look fantastic though, so don't me wrong. The theming is unbelievable. And this is still my favorite WDW park!

Think the dude is getting a pass, though, and i hope he proves me wrong with Pandora.

/me ducks all the rotten vegetables

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Joe Rohde is perfect for culture and nature projects, but for something such as Marvel (which he leads) is just bizzare. Also, most of his projects have gotten way over budget and/or cost way more than they should have a $100mil for Everest, $1bil for Avatar...

 

[Nico]

Isn't he being "retired" after Avatar opens?

 

[violarum]

I like him conceptually, and oftentimes enjoy his level of meticulous design. But he created the incestual carny mess that is DinoRama and is leading that Guardians of the Galaxy nonsense, so he's got a big set of demerits in my book. He's ambitious, but sometimes the projects suffer as a result.

Interesting to note, also, that Disney's big culture-head is a white cis male.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

"retired"

 

[Parkscope Joe]

i apologize in advance to the people that compare him to Tony Baxter, but my perspective is decidedly different.

What has he done that was actually good?

- Yeti
- DinoLand. While this did certainly achieve the "roadside carnival" vibe that he was going for, really ? Yes, that simulated roadtop that can withstand so many steps a day sure is great...
- Dinosaur. Haven't been since the refurb, hopefully the AAs and lighting work now.
- Lucky the dinosaur. Didn't last a year.
- Beastly Kingdom
- Discovery River Boats
- Kali... maybe half the ride works
- Kilimanjaro - the whole story line was taken out, with the bridge.
- Rivers of Light!

For a guy who supposedly has such "vision", the track record speaks for itself.

Asia and Africa look fantastic though, so don't me wrong. The theming is unbelievable. And this is still my favorite WDW park!

Think the dude is getting a pass, though, and i hope he proves me wrong with Pandora.

/me ducks all the rotten vegetables

Malestrom, lots of scenic work for New Fantasyland... in Disneyland, Pleasure Island, and way more. He didn't just burst onto the scene in 1998 with Animal Kingdom, he's been around for a long time.

 

[quinnmac000]

i apologize in advance to the people that compare him to Tony Baxter, but my perspective is decidedly different.

What has he done that was actually good?

- Yeti
- DinoLand. While this did certainly achieve the "roadside carnival" vibe that he was going for, really ? Yes, that simulated roadtop that can withstand so many steps a day sure is great...
- Dinosaur. Haven't been since the refurb, hopefully the AAs and lighting work now.
- Lucky the dinosaur. Didn't last a year.
- Beastly Kingdom
- Discovery River Boats
- Kali... maybe half the ride works
- Kilimanjaro - the whole story line was taken out, with the bridge.
- Rivers of Light!

For a guy who supposedly has such "vision", the track record speaks for itself.

Asia and Africa look fantastic though, so don't me wrong. The theming is unbelievable. And this is still my favorite WDW park!

Think the dude is getting a pass, though, and i hope he proves me wrong with Pandora.

/me ducks all the rotten vegetables

Yeti isn't really an accomplishment....design is one thing but it needs to be reliable as well

 

[Miketheboss]

Interesting to note, also, that Disney's big culture-head is a white cis male.

Anddddd..?...?I hate when people use that phrase as if being born a "white cis male" is a disqualification or unacceptable for certain positions. Interesting to note how people can make these comments about white people and it not be seen as discriminatory. All of this coming from a Cuban cis male.

 

[s8film40]

I'm not a huge Joe Rohde fan or anything, but in my opinion the Adventurers Club was probably one of Disney's best ever themed attractions.

 

[Doug A.]

When I was at AK in late January the bridge was working in Killimanjaro Safari

 

[violarum]

Anddddd..?...?I hate when people use that phrase as if being born a "white cis male" is a disqualification or unacceptable for certain positions. Interesting to note how people can make these comments about white people and it not be seen as discriminatory. All of this coming from a Cuban cis male.

All one needs to do is take a look at Disney's executive hiring history within the past 30 years and note the trend of white cis men, still slowly waning. It was a comment based on the imperative need to integrate bright minds from all over to lead the creation of theme parks, not just the white ones. Especially when the retention of culture is vital. Hire a highly qualified minority to lead a diverse group to think intersectionally (not just through Eurocentric perception and appropriation), and they'll create even more amazing things.

 

[Teebin]

Joe and Mark W. both have talents that few here discuss. That is the ability to self promote... convince the $$$ that you are indispensable. I have always admired this more than either of their talents.

 

[Miketheboss]

All one needs to do is take a look at Disney's executive hiring history within the past 30 years and note the trend of white cis men, still slowly waning. It was a comment based on the imperative need to integrate bright minds from all over to lead the creation of theme parks, not just the white ones. Especially when the retention of culture is vital. Hire a highly qualified minority to lead a diverse group to think intersectionally (not just through Eurocentric perception and appropriation), and they'll create even more amazing things.

Political Correctness at its finest. Why not just hire highly qualified people who can bring the best possible opportunities? A "minority" shouldn't be a job requirement and neither should sexual orientation or your "gender identity". I'd feel uncomfortable being hired to fill that minority slot. Hire me for my skills.

Rohde has dedicated his life by traveling and exploring different countries and cultures. Check out his website. But then again, he's a cis white male so it may not be fitting.
JoeRohde.net

This cis white male talk belongs in another forum site, not here. You can probably find one ran by a Californian liberal university.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

This thread is locked.

This was always a thread on the edge and pulling in identify politics doesn't lead to pertanent discussion. Mike and Violarium, chill out.