Re: CARS Merchandise Signing Failure... Lasseter walks out on fans.
It's not even in fine print...
If you have a big role in a company like John Lasseter, it's not uncommon to have every minute of your day planned out.
Re: CARS Merchandise Signing Failure... Lasseter walks out on fans.
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Originally Posted by
UncleWally'sNiece 
Have you based your opinion of him based on an interaction with him, or only assumptions you've made based on reading bits of information about events surrounding him?
My guess is the latter...
Re: CARS Merchandise Signing Failure... Lasseter walks out on fans.
^ probably more accurate if he'd walked out after 20 minutes.
Lasseter is still the Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios & Principal Creative Advisor, Walt Disney Imagineering. And he own a winery and has a family. Amazing that he even had time to schedule this appearance.
Having both coordinated and attended numerous celebrity-related signings in the past and elsewhere, I can tell you that either the "no personal items" is dictated by draw themselves and/or their reps and strictly enforced. Or it's worded like this one was, as a simple request and not enforced in front of the talent so as not to cause any embarrassing tantrums by attendees or challenging the talent directly. Time is up when it is. The only complaints come from after the line cuts off or if they spell your name wrong.
He's at the park fairly often and has always been in my experience extremely friendly and welcomes an autograph request.
Re: CARS Merchandise Signing Failure... Lasseter walks out on fans.
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Originally Posted by
Disneytwins If you have a big role in a company like John Lasseter, it's not uncommon to have every minute of your day planned out.
Good point. And one that I'll be sure to remember the next time the Very Big Disney Company and the Very Busy Mr. Lasseter ask me to take two hours out of my Very Busy Schedule to watch one of his movies.
Re: CARS Merchandise Signing Failure... Lasseter walks out on fans.
Here's my opinion: If he is so busy, why schedule him to do signings at all? I seem to remember Walt Disney was a very busy guy. Certainly as busy as the folks in charge now. He didn't seem to have any issues with making time for his customers....
Re: CARS Merchandise Signing Failure... Lasseter walks out on fans.
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Originally Posted by
Mr Wiggins Good point. And one that I'll be sure to remember the next time the Very Big Disney Company and the Very Busy Mr. Lasseter ask me to take two hours out of my Very Busy Schedule to watch one of his movies.
I think you may be overreacting a little bit on this one..
Re: CARS Merchandise Signing Failure... Lasseter walks out on fans.
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Originally Posted by
4th Gen Disney Fan Here's my opinion: If he is so busy, why schedule him to do signings at all? I seem to remember Walt Disney was a very busy guy. Certainly as busy as the folks in charge now. He didn't seem to have any issues with making time for his customers....
Walt was known to pre-sign autographs in a notepad so as to have them handy if he was caught walking the park but was in a rush.
I respect the fact that John's a busy man. If his schedule lacks the time to dedicate to a signing (and they almost always run over) then he shouldn't be on the panel signing things. I've actually seen various talent not be invited back because of difficulties with their schedule. You close the line at X, they stop signing at Y. It's not rocket science. Or you limit it to X vouchers and once those are signed that's a wrap. As "annoyed" as I am with the apparent decision to "shoe horn" John into this, I'm more upset with Disney. Like I said this isn't their first rodeo. They do special events all the time. You'd think by now they'd have a firm system in place to avoid just about everything detailed by the OP. It's embarrassing that a company like Disney can't get their act together on a simple autograph signing. Again... not rocket science... no need to re-invent the wheel with each new event. LEARN from past improvements and past mistakes and move forward.
I'll add to this. There are a variety of autographs I've collected over the years. As a kid it was always fun to meet the artists and writers of my favorite comics. I had friends who loved meeting their favorite sports stars. It was a kids thing but it was fun. At some point autographs became "big money" and people started charging for them, selling them, etc. That's when the fun disappeared. So to Tommy LaSorda... the 8 year old me that was a Dodger fan still remembers the night I ran into you at your diner. Thanks for the baseball, the menu, and an amazing meatball sandwich! THAT is one of countless memories I have.
Chip stayed. That says a lot. He could have been just as busy, we don't know, but he stayed. He was there for the fans. Anyone who has stood in those lines can back me up when I say how much it says about someone when they stick around for their fans.
Re: CARS Merchandise Signing Failure... Lasseter walks out on fans.
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Originally Posted by
techskip Walt was known to pre-sign autographs in a notepad so as to have them handy if he was caught walking the park but was in a rush. -snip-
Even if he pre-signed, he still took the time to ensure that at least a few more guests would get an autograph. That is a class act.
Re: CARS Merchandise Signing Failure... Lasseter walks out on fans.
Pretty sure Walt Disney was not assigned the task to be somewhere from 2 to 4 to sign autographs. You'd be lucky if he stopped as he swept by.
Lasseter was assigned this task, spent what seems, from the OP, more than the allotted two hours.
techskip, it might not be Disney's first rodeo, but it sure appears that it is this particular department's first rodeo. The lessons from the past probably left with those who learned them.
Logistics fail. Blame the logistics personnel, not the innocents.
Re: CARS Merchandise Signing Failure... Lasseter walks out on fans.
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Originally Posted by
sediment Lasseter was assigned this task,
Far more likely, agreed to.
Re: CARS Merchandise Signing Failure... Lasseter walks out on fans.
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Originally Posted by
sediment techskip, it might not be Disney's first rodeo, but it sure appears that it is this particular department's first rodeo. The lessons from the past probably left with those who learned them.
Logistics fail. Blame the logistics personnel, not the innocents.
Part of that still falls back on Disney. Anyone can establish the fact that Disney, as a company, has hosted plenty of special events, limited edition events, and autograph signings. Multiple departments have participated in these events over the decades. There was an obvious breakdown somewhere because regardless of which department hosted this event, the information from past events are readily available. It would take little more than a phone call to find out what worked, what didn't work, and to make the appropriate adjustments. That falls on Disney as a whole for not requiring the necessary legwork in planning any special event. It also falls on the specific department who failed to plan and thereby planned to fail with this particular event. It gave Disney a black eye and left fans wondering why the company can't seem to manage an event as simple as an autograph signing.
Re: CARS Merchandise Signing Failure... Lasseter walks out on fans.
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Originally Posted by
ALIASd Far more likely, agreed to.
This.
Re: CARS Merchandise Signing Failure... Lasseter walks out on fans.
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Originally Posted by
Mr Wiggins Good point. And one that I'll be sure to remember the next time the Very Big Disney Company and the Very Busy Mr. Lasseter ask me to take two hours out of my Very Busy Schedule to watch one of his movies.
You're kidding right? So just because you watch a movie of his, he now owes you some of his personal time? Interesting...
Re: CARS Merchandise Signing Failure... Lasseter walks out on fans.
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Originally Posted by
ALIASd Far more likely, agreed to.
Hey, don't cut off the important part, where he was there LONGER THAN THE TWO HOURS HE WAS ASSIGNED.
Re: CARS Merchandise Signing Failure... Lasseter walks out on fans.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
techskip Part of that still falls back on Disney. Anyone can establish the fact that Disney, as a company, has hosted plenty of special events, limited edition events, and autograph signings. Multiple departments have participated in these events over the decades. There was an obvious breakdown somewhere because regardless of which department hosted this event, the information from past events are readily available. It would take little more than a phone call to find out what worked, what didn't work, and to make the appropriate adjustments. That falls on Disney as a whole for not requiring the necessary legwork in planning any special event. It also falls on the specific department who failed to plan and thereby planned to fail with this particular event. It gave Disney a black eye and left fans wondering why the company can't seem to manage an event as simple as an autograph signing.
I'm not saying The Walt Disney Company (DIS on NYSE) is blameless. I'm merely pointing out where in the company that needs improvement.
No, not "Disney as a whole." Disney, from the top down to this particular department.
Now, the fans have a few options for responses, too. One of which is to stop attending these events. That seems to be unfathomable to some. Yet, fathomable it is.
We are (well, I am) looking for ways to improve. I don't really care about making whole anyone who got stiffed. It's all in the past. Learn from it, or else.
Big issue at the moment is that Disney does not realize how popular these events really are, especially with those who do not pay that day to enter the park.
So, HEY DISNEY, THESE EVENTS ARE POPULAR!!
OK, now they know. And the people who work there three years from now can find this post and know it, too.
