The company campus for Walt Disney Imagineering and different staff within the Parks & Resorts division will quickly begin to take form. Thanks to newly-released plans, we now know that the transfer from California to Florida will proceed as deliberate, with particulars concerning the buildings and design of Disney’s Lake Nona campus coming to gentle.
Let’s begin with a fast recap of the Lake Nona relocation “saga” to date. Back in July 2021, the Walt Disney Company introduced {that a} new regional hub in Orlando’s Lake Nona group would turn into residence to greater than 2,000 skilled jobs relocating from California. At the time, the common wage for the positions was reported to be $120,000 yearly.
The Lake Nona campus would turn into the principle campus for Walt Disney Imagineering and others within the Disney Parks, Experiences and Products (DPEP) division. Initially, a lot of the DPEP positions primarily based in Southern California that weren’t totally devoted to Disneyland Resort or the worldwide theme parks can be relocated to Florida.
Even with most white collar staff from Disney Parks & Resorts relocating, that may nonetheless solely characterize beneath 5% of Disney’s whole jobs in California. That’s largely as a result of the majority of Disney’s Southern California workforce is frontline Cast Members at Disneyland Resort, with different white collar campuses for the company headquarters and Walt Disney Animation in Burbank, plus Pixar and Lucasfilm in Northern California, amongst different non-parks divisions within the state.
As of Summer 2021, the Lake Nona transfer was then anticipated to happen over the course of 18 months. The new campus would start to open by December 2022, and be completely accomplished by 2023. Disney’s Lake Nona campus reportedly had been within the works since 2019. It is at the moment early 2023, and the “construction” web site continues to be dust.
“With Disney’s move and large investment in our community, we are delighted to welcome one of the world’s most recognized brands to Lake Nona. By choosing to build a new regional campus in Lake Nona, Disney will become part of this smart city where cutting-edge ideas turn into realities,” mentioned Nick Beucher, President of Tavistock Development Company, the proprietor and developer of Lake Nona on the time of Disney’s authentic announcement.
“As someone who has moved with my family from California to Florida and back again, I understand that relocation is a big change, not only for the employee, but also for their families,” DPEP Chairman Josh D’Amaro wrote in a letter to staff. “Therefore, moving these roles to Central Florida will take place throughout the next 18 months, providing flexibility in timing to accommodate individual situations and needs.”
“This new project will create a dynamic environment to support our expanding business — a brand-new regional campus which will be built in the vibrant Lake Nona community of Orlando, Florida,” D’Amaro mentioned within the letter. “With more than 60,000 Cast Members, Imagineers and employees, Central Florida has long been home to many of our businesses including the Walt Disney World Resort and most of our Disney Signature Experiences team.”
Lake Nona is a master-planned group developed by the aforementioned Tavistock Co., and is positioned southeast of Orlando International Airport. It is residence to services like Nemours Children’s Hospital and University of Central Florida’s College of Medicine. For the Californians studying this, the closest comparability might be Irvine and its eponymous actual property growth firm.
An up-and-coming space of Central Florida, Lake Nona is already residence to a revered roster of firms together with Beep Mobility Solutions, Chopra Global, Cisco, GE, GuideWell, Hitachi, Johnson & Johnson, KPMG, leAD, Limitless Minds, Lilium, Nemours, Signet, Siemens, Signature Flight Support/BBA Aviation, SimCom, U.S. Tennis Association, Veterans Affairs Administration, Verizon, and extra.
According to public data in Orange County, the Disney-controlled Dynamic Campus LLC bought actual property from Lake Nona Land Co. LLC, which is related to Lake Nona developer Tavistock Development Co. for $46.4 million, or roughly $766,666 per acre again in Fall 2021.
Disney has projected it may spend as much as $864 million to construct the campus, however it could be eligible to assert greater than $570 million in tax breaks over 20 years for the undertaking from the state of Florida.
Site prep work started shortly thereafter in Late 2021, as Disney shifted its plans into excessive gear to be able to meet its personal (on the time) self-imposed 18 month timeline. Simultaneous to that, Imagineers and different staff had been requested to tell the corporate as to whether or not they’d make the transfer.
If you observe any Imagineers on social media, you most likely noticed the ‘farewell’ posts as many opted to depart Imagineering quite than relocate to Florida. At least a few of the undercurrent of hostility by creatives in direction of former CEO Bob Chapek stemmed from the best way this relocation announcement was initially dealt with.
There had been different points even comparatively early on. Rumblings from inside the firm recommended that sure positions can be exempted from the relocation, particularly these the place the corporate has a harder time buying expertise and competing with different industries. (Originally, the relocation was rumored to be extra focused, quite than an across-the-board transfer of the core Imagineering campus from Glendale to Lake Nona.)
Following that, job postings on the Disney Careers web site indicated that roles at the moment primarily based in Southern California can be relocating to Orlando by late 2024. Those postings had been shortly deleted or modified, however recommended the transfer wouldn’t be accomplished inside the yr.
Fast ahead about 11 months after the preliminary announcement and the timeline was formally pushed again. At that point, Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Wahler mentioned that the anticipated opening date for the Lake Nona campus was pushed again to 2026 to be able to “give people more time” and accommodate the development timeline for the brand new workplaces.
Disney particularly acknowledged that the standoff with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Reedy Creek Improvement District dissolution controversy had nothing to do with the delay. Now, I’m no math whizz, but when the preliminary timeline is eighteen months and the revised timeline is a minimum of 3 years after the undertaking was initially slated to be accomplished…one thing is up past simply routine delays. (They knew staff would want time to relocate–that wasn’t some stunning revelation final yr.)
Now, we’ve the primary main replace since final June. The plan under comes courtesy of a report in GrowthSpotter, which reveals that Tavistock submitted an utility for a framework grasp plan on behalf of Disney. Per this, Global structure agency HOK is main the design work for the undertaking, alongside Harris Civil Engineers. The utility was filed in time to get on the March 9 agenda for town’s new Development Review Committee.
HOK has created company campuses for a few of the world’s largest firms, together with Honeywell, LG and Norfolk Southern, and makes a speciality of sustainable design. For the LG North America headquarters in New Jersey, the 350,000-square-foot headquarters workplace achieved Platinum LEED certification.
Construction of the Disney’s Lake Nona campus might be phased. Upon completion, it is going to include six workplace buildings, two flex buildings, three parking garages, a central plant, and a floor parking zone for guests. While the zoning permits for a most top of 10 tales, the preliminary plan requires buildings to vary in top from 4 to seven tales. Each of the parking garages can have six ranges.
The bulk of the constructed atmosphere, 1.46 million sq. ft, is outlined as common workplaces, whereas the remaining 346,000 sq. ft might be flex workplace/industrial. The workplaces featured 60,000 sq. ft of photo voltaic panels plus 2 acres of inexperienced roofs to fulfill the dedication to be carbon net-zero.
Access to the Lake Nona campus might be restricted. The web site plan reveals three entrances, every of which have a guard station. Once contained in the campus, staff and guests will be capable of journey through an inside loop highway.
This isn’t a lot completely different than Disney’s company campuses in California. You can’t merely present up and wander round–there are guard stations and solely staff and guests who’ve a motive to be there are allowed entry. (Come to think about it, not that a lot completely different than driving to resorts at Walt Disney World today!)
Turning to commentary, I’ve combined ideas about this. The Lake Nona relocation shouldn’t be a subject we’ve coated beforehand, save for offhand feedback right here and there. In giant half, that’s due to the human aspect of the story–whereas Florida-based DPEP staff are undoubtedly excited to have extra of their colleagues near them, California-based ones have needed to make powerful choices.
It’s additionally as a result of I actually didn’t suppose the relocation would occur, particularly after the showdown between Chapek and DeSantis final spring and summer season. Another hesitation is an offshoot of that, as this relocation has turn into yet one more flashpoint within the tradition wars, representing the “battle” of Florida v. California for some folks.
Having lived in each Central Florida and Southern California–and the respective Orange Counties that Disney’s theme parks name residence–our view is that that is unreasonably reductive and never essentially reflective of actuality. To ensure, there are variations between the 2, however no state is monolithic–particularly ones as giant and numerous as Florida and California.
As famous above, a good comparability for Lake Nona is Irvine, California (albeit on a smaller scale). It’s not like this up-and-coming part of Central Florida is similar because the Villages or some rural a part of the panhandle. This isn’t to say that there are usually not materials variations between the 2–there completely are–simply that household, colleges, associates, and different methods folks set up roots are possible the extra important, overriding issues.
Rather than turning this into one other matter on company governance, we’re going to take a look at this from a visitor perspective–or extra particularly, the point of view of Walt Disney World followers. Even in the event you’re a Florida-centric fan, it should be acknowledged that there’s a ton of historical past in Glendale for Walt Disney Imagineering, and it’ll be unhappy to lose that. It could seem insignificant to newer followers, however the creatives strolling halls and utilizing the workplaces of the early greats of WED needed to have been inspiring and essential and mirrored within the work product.
Of course, it’s the folks and never the buildings that give establishments that means, so the larger blow is to the artistic tradition. Part of that is possible already enjoying out by advantage of blows to morale. Again, this has performed out in public view on social media, as departing Imagineers and others who opted in opposition to relocating have expressed animosity and anger with the corporate. Some went from being stewards of WED’s wealthy legacy to downright disillusioned and resentful.
Beyond broader worker morale, there’s additionally the probability of dropping tenured creatives with many years of expertise and information. As with the current return-to-office mandate from CEO Bob Iger, this Lake Nona transfer additionally features as a layoff in disguise. Given that older staff are typically these with stronger ties to a spot and fewer to achieve by a late profession transfer, it’s possible they had been disproportionate departures from Disney.
Walt Disney Imagineering was hit arduous even earlier than this in 2020, and it’s inconceivable to say how most of the current high-profile retirements have really been “retirements” (with heavy air quotes). Joe Rohde and Bob Weis shortly getting new jobs after leaving Disney strongly means that these had been “retirements.”
Already, the detrimental ramifications of dropping older staff has been evident at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. The lack of institutional information has resulted in perplexing choices, from the usage of non-durable supplies in designs to upkeep woes (and possibly much more of which we’re unaware). This isn’t just an Imagineering difficulty–it’s been a wrestle for the parks since reopening, and it’ll take years to rebuild sure departments that relied on the information and expertise of staff who had honed their craft over the course of many years with Disney.
From the surface wanting in, I’d think about that there are different detrimental penalties of Imagineering not being close to Disney’s company headquarters. I gained’t fake to know the way commonly these from the c-suite drop in on the Imagineering R&D labs, enter the Dish, or in any other case poke round–however I’m guessing it’ll occur far much less when it requires a cross-country flight as an alternative of a ~15 minute drive.
Having a artistic campus close to the Disney headquarters possible served not solely as a reminder of the company ethos, but additionally a great way to excite executives about cool tasks–and possibly even get issues greenlit. That’s completely speculative on my half, so file this one beneath “things that make sense to me but might not actually be accurate.”
There’s additionally possible upside in Imagineering shifting to Florida for followers. Central Florida is regularly turning into the epicenter of the themed design world, with a ton of contractors and distributors being primarily based within the space. It’s arduous to see that shift reversing course, particularly as main new parks (Epic Universe) and impartial tasks (AREA15) turn into more and more widespread.
From a growth perspective, Southern California is essentially built-out whereas Central Florida is upstart and booming. There’s potential for much more to come back in and round Orlando. This is certainly counterintuitive given the popularity of California as a tech hub–and there’s loads being inbuilt SoCal–however not on par with the explosion in Central Florida.
There’s additionally worth in having the “home parks” of extra Imagineers be Walt Disney World. Without query, Disneyland will get particular remedy and a focus, which is for numerous causes from Walt’s legacy to native demographics. It’s additionally a minimum of partially as a result of Disneyland is nearer to influential people inside the firm.
Executives and Imagineers take their households there on weekends, and Disneyland Resort advantages from little pet tasks in consequence. Now, this isn’t to say that the tables would instantly flip and the Florida parks would have higher consideration to element and so forth–as there are a number of the explanation why Disneyland does issues in a different way–however it positively couldn’t harm!
It’s additionally troublesome to disclaim that a number of what will get designed for Walt Disney World comes from a really “California-centric” viewpoint. By this, I’m particularly referring to the climate. Don’t get me mistaken, I like Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Even although I’m not an enormous fan of Toy Story Land, I’ll admit that it has its moments.
However, each have evident points that aren’t a results of price range cuts or worth engineering. These issues are acutely aware design decisions that may’ve appeared or sounded cool in principle, however clashed with the arduous realities of getting to exist in a working theme park topic to issues like Florida climate.
Quite merely, these lands don’t really feel like they had been designed by anybody who ever spent a full day exterior in Orlando. Maybe these perplexing design choices will persist, however that is one other factor I’d file beneath it couldn’t harm for Imagineers to be nearer to Walt Disney World.
Ultimately, that simply scratches the floor on the professionals and cons of the Lake Nona transfer, and is admittedly coming from an outsider’s perspective. I gained’t fake that I’ve an entire grasp of the potential advantages and detrimental ramifications of such a transfer, and there’s undoubtedly quite a bit that I’m lacking.
Regardless of how this finally ends up enjoying out, I don’t suppose it was dealt with nicely initially and couldn’t have come at a worse time again in 2021. Morale at Parks & Resorts was already dangerous, and this actually has not helped. Even making the very beneficiant assumption that the corporate had good motivations within the transfer, Disney may have had an extended timeline from the outset or approached the transfer in a extra methodical method. Instead, this was hamfisted and unorganized from the outset, with an excessively aggressive timeline that most likely was not viable whatever the intervening controversies.
I doubt many individuals inside or exterior would’ve argued in opposition to two large-scale artistic campuses–one in Glendale and one in Lake Nona–and letting staff select the place they needed to work. Like so many bulletins executed beneath the Chapek regime, Disney as an alternative took a “worst of both worlds” method as an alternative of attempting to string the needle and switch the Lake Nona campus right into a constructive for the corporate and Walt Disney Imagineering.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you concentrate on Imagineering and the remainder of DPEP’s relocation to Lake Nona, Florida? Think this might be a constructive or detrimental–or a mix of each–for Imagineering and Disney followers? Thoughts on this being a layoff in disguise? Agree with our takes concerning the good and dangerous of transfer? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Feel free to share your perspective, however preserve the feedback civil. This shouldn’t be the place for politically-charged arguing, tradition wars, antagonism, private assaults, or low cost pictures. We might be heavy-handed in deleting any feedback that cross the road, no matter viewpoint.