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Walt Disney Imagineering has introduced it’s bringing again Bruce Vaughn to co-lead the inventive unit, introduced Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro. In this submit, we’ll cowl the information and provide commentary about his shock return to WDI, Vaughn’s previous observe document, and what he’s been as much as since departing Disney.
Let’s begin with that final level. Bruce Vaughn left Imagineering again in 2016 to change into CEO and CCO of Dreamscape Immersive, an organization that creates location-based digital actuality experiences. Following that, he joined Airbnb in 2021 as vice chairman of experiential inventive product. At Airbnb, Vaughn led a staff liable for designing immersive choices for Airbnb stays and experiences, which included fellow Disney alum Catherine Powell, who was beloved by followers throughout her time because the chief of Disneyland Paris.
Vaughn had labored at Imagineering in management roles for 22 years, with mission credit that included DisneyQuest and the Spaceship Earth refurbishment. Prior to his departure, he was one of many co-heads of Imagineering as Chief Creative Executive for 9 years. During that point, notable tasks included Shanghai Disney Resort, New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom, Pandora – World of Avatar at Animal Kingdom, and early growth on the overhaul of Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Upon returning, Vaughn will take the position of Chief Creative Officer. He will begin on this position efficient March 20, 2023 and can co-lead Walt Disney Imagineering alongside present President Barbara Bouza, with each leaders reporting on to Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro.
“I’ve remained an Imagineer at heart, so I’m thrilled to join Barbara and reunite with this phenomenal global team of creators and innovators during this pivotal time,” Vaughn mentioned in a press release. “With so many exciting projects under way and tremendous opportunities ahead of us, I look forward to partnering with Bruce to fuel creativity and deliver next-level experiences,” Bouza added.
Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro despatched an inner notice to Imagineers saying Bruce Vaughn’s return:
As Bob Iger usually says, creativity is the center and soul of who we’re and what we do at Disney. In reality, as we have a look at our firm’s 100-year historical past of bringing charming and memorable storytelling to life, the constant thread that binds us collectively as an organization throughout all segments is our skill to drive innovation via inventive tasks.
In Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, we proceed to spend money on new endeavors that ship probably the most compelling experiences, immersing our friends world wide within the tales they love most. In the previous few years, we’ve got discovered ourselves on the crossroads of a wave of recent expertise and a seemingly limitless quantity of recent tales and franchises, permitting us to develop groundbreaking new experiences. Of course, none of this involves life with no robust dedication to creativity and innovation by the superb staff at Walt Disney Imagineering.
With this in thoughts, I’m happy to share that efficient March 20, Bruce Vaughn is returning to Walt Disney Imagineering because the Chief Creative Officer. Bruce will co-lead the group with WDI President Barbara Bouza, with each leaders reporting on to me.
Together, Bruce and Barbara will associate carefully to attach visionary inventive pondering with mission alternatives and flawless execution and supply. With important developments beneath approach and extra on the horizon, this devoted focus towards creativity and innovation will assist us ship next-level experiences effectively into the longer term. To finest accomplish this, they are going to be working collectively to swiftly determine the simplest method to construction Imagineering.
Many of you could have had the chance to work with Bruce beforehand. He has a deep historical past with Imagineering, serving for greater than 20 years in management roles together with with WDI R&D, in addition to co-leading all the WDI group as Chief Creative Executive for 9 years. Bruce left Disney in 2016 to change into CEO and CCO of Dreamscape Immersive the place he labored with groups to advance digital actuality applied sciences for mainstream location-based leisure, and most lately was with Airbnb the place he developed and led the Experiential Creative Product staff.
Please be part of me in welcoming Bruce again to Disney.
In phrases of commentary, I’ll begin by saying that I’m shocked by the constructive response to this information on social media. This has me scratching my head, as a result of Bruce Vaughn was not precisely beloved throughout his time at Walt Disney Imagineering, at the least amongst followers.
As with the return of Bob Iger, I believe this response is extra about the established order being so unhealthy and morale being so low that any change is widely known. Sort of a “things can only get better from here” combined with “things were better when he was here before.” From these views, followers are usually not precisely fallacious. The firm as an entire and Imagineering specifically had higher runs in the course of the prior tenures of Iger and Vaughn.
When it involves Bruce Vaughn, particularly, my information is comparatively restricted. I’ve heard tales and gossip through the years, each constructive and detrimental, however nothing to obviously peg him as a part of the issue or answer. My understanding on the time was that his departure was tied to value overruns and delays at Shanghai Disneyland–that he was primarily the autumn man–however that’s fully rumor and supposition.
Timing-wise, Vaughn ascended to the highest of Imagineering in 2007, months earlier than the announcement of the Disney’s California Adventure overhaul and solely a pair years earlier than New Fantasyland was greenlit for Magic Kingdom. Those main tasks precipitated a decade-plus of main growth within the home and worldwide parks. In phrases of 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 is returning shortly after Chapek’s downfall. That could possibly be fully 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 seen as threats.
Speaking 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, and it’s not possible to say how lots of the latest high-profile retirements have truly been “retirements” (with heavy air quotes).
Turning again to Bruce Vaughn, I did attend a D23 Expo panel at which he spoke in 2013, and I can not say I used to be significantly impressed. Vaughn displayed a sure vanity all through, uttering the notorious “no one can touch us” line about Imagineering when dismissing growth at Universal. The decade or so since actually has not vindicated him.
With the advantage of hindsight, Vaughn now strikes me as the beginning of the development away from Imagineers with spectacular portfolios of inventive contributions and tasks. That was previous to the present “influencer era,” so he was not that, however he does appear to suit the mildew.
Nevertheless, I’m prepared to take a wait and see method on the return of Bruce Vaughn to Walt Disney Imagineering. I’ve been saying for months now that I believe Imagineering is on the precipice of its subsequent huge growth cycle for the home parks, and Disney could possibly be bringing him again not for his inventive chops, however as a result of he’s a very good chief and mission supervisor.
In equity, that’s each bit as wanted as sensible creatives who can dream up creative and envelope-pushing points of interest. Imagineering has change into infamous for bloated budgets and mission delays, and there are many cases of latest tasks 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 actually have no idea.
Ultimately, that’s the place I’m at with this and why I’m withholding judgment. While I can perceive the inclination in the direction of pleasure or this being constructive information because it suggests that Imagineering is gearing up for one thing, they’ve additionally been so gutted within the final 3 years that I’d have to see much more like this earlier than getting too excited. I’d additionally want to see true creatives with institutional information and clearly-defined portfolios. (It’s additionally doable that Vaughn’s return has nothing to do with substantive tasks, however moderately, to facilitate Imagineering’s relocation from Glendale to Lake Nona, Florida.)
Then once more, Bruce Vaughn was on the high of Walt Disney Imagineering in the course of the growth of the unique Pandora – World of Avatar (one other notorious ‘moment’ of his was being Photoshopped out of groundbreaking photographs for that!). Perhaps Imagineering is getting the gang again collectively for spherical two at Disneyland, and Joe Rohde would be the subsequent re-hire. All issues thought-about, I’m excited for the last decade to return at Walt Disney World and Disneyland…and I actually hope this performs into that!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you concentrate on Imagineering bringing again Bruce Vaughn? Think this will probably be a constructive or detrimental–or a mix of each–for Imagineering and Disney followers? Thoughts on this being WDI laying the groundwork for giant growth plans which are on the horizon? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Feel free 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 probably be heavy-handed in deleting any feedback that cross the road, regardless of viewpoint.
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