Interested in reading professional opinions from Pixar and Disney employees (and ex-employees) on how to fix the problems with the theme parks and get Imagineering back on track? If you’re a Disney park nut, this is a must-read.

I stumbled across a very interesting blog today. So interesting, at least to me as a Disney theme park nut, that could not take the time to post it sooner because I was reading it in all of my free time throughout the afternoon!

In a semi-blog, semi-forum format, Disney, Pixar, and other professional theme park workers comment on how the Disney parks have taken a turn for for the worse, especially Disneyland. For example, they discuss the “cancer” known as (Winnie the) Pooh and how it replaced several rides (20,000 Leagues and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride among them) with thinly guised rides which really just parade patrons past merchandising displays. I especially enjoyed this line:

If slogging past wobbly wooden flats while sitting inside a giant carved out turd is your idea of fun then you will be delighted.

There is plenty of discussion and commenting on other things such as the poor maintenance caused by departmental in-fighting and (of course) beancounters, archiving classic art, and plenty more. Sadly, I think that much of what they discuss is actually true. The current crop of MBAs running Disney seem to value their media, TV stations, and web content more than the parks, which is very unfortunate for the millions to plan family vacations there every year.

If you’re at all interested in the Disney parks, the behind-the-scenes “magic” at the parks, or just what it can be like to work there, this site is a must-read (don’t forget the comments!) Even after reading all of this, though, I’d still love to work in WDW!

P.S. If you like the “secrets” of Disney parks, I very highly recommend these books.