Decisions Under Uncertainty

Floating Mountains at Disney Imagineering


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Marcus, a senior project manager at Disney Imagineering, oversees the ambitious Pandora expansion, balancing creative excellence, budget, and schedule. Facing corporate pressure and an $850 million cap, he clashes with creative demands for advanced features like interactive bioluminescent forests. To secure approval, he considers “progressive seduction”—pitching a scaled-down version and adding features later. However, this risks cost overruns, schedule delays, and credibility. Marcus must choose between transparency, which may jeopardize the project, or a strategic compromise to deliver innovation within corporate constraints.

Do you want to know more?

  • Addeman, F. (1999). Managing the magic. PM Network, 13(7), 31–36.
  • Fritz, B. (2026) The 3,000-Person Team Working in Secret to Create Disney Magic. The Wall Street Journal.
  • Barnes, B. (2021) Are You Ready for Sentient Disney Robots? The New York Times.
  • Barnes, B. (2018) Disney is Spending More on Theme Parks Than It Did on Pixar, Marvel and LucasFilm Combined. The New York Times.
  • Fritz, B. (2026) Disney’s Future Now Depends on the Ultimate Theme Park Insider. The Wall Street Journal.
  • Ackerman, E. (2021) How Disney Imagineering Crammed a Humanoid Robot Into a Groot Suit. IEEE Spectrum.
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Decisions Under UncertaintyBy Ignacio Vazquez